Kashayam, Kadha stylishly called herbal tea in English, is a simple home made concoction of pantry ingredients. This grandma’s medicine provides immense relief to simple cold and cough.
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Kashayam & Home Remedies
Kashayam, the name itself will make kids face go weird. It is a homemade watery herbal concoction of single or many herbs together. As a child, I never remember going to doctor for common cold and cough. Amma usually keeps a dry powder ready with kashayam ingredients, she just adds it to boiling water and adds little sugar/jaggery to cajole us to drink and we drink, no cross talks.
Whenever there is a seasonal change my grandmother makes Pepper legiyam , a herbal mix of black peppercorns with jaggery. Amma makes Diwali marundhu every 6 months once. We can never say no when she gives us these herbal medicines, we just swallow and immediately drink a glass of water.
Apart from this there was regular use of peppercorns, jeera/cumin seeds, fresh ginger and turmeric in our daily food. Amma’s famous jeera rasam and Milagu | pepper rasam had more medicinal properties than any doctor’s prescription. Have you ever tasted this Amla jam, loaded with vitamin C, homemade goodness.
Such home remedies, comes handy when we suffer with a mild cough and cold that accompanies seasonal changes and allergies.
Disclaimer : The above mentioned recipes are just a home remedy for prevention of cold during winter and not a replacement for any cold/flu Medicine.
Step by Step Instructions to make Kashayam
Please check recipe card below for exact measurements of each ingredient used and also for the detailed instructions
- Measure and keep all the dry ingredients ready. I have roughly crushed the ingredients, though not necessary, I feels it add a little more zing and punch.
- Boil water in a wide sauce pan, when it starts a boil add all the dry ingredients and let it boil for 10-15 minutes in a medium flame. After 5-8 minutes of initial boiling, add fresh tulsi leaves and crushed fresh ginger to this.
- Finally add jaggery and take it off the stove. Strain and enjoy it warm. Any leftover can be stored on the kitchen counter for 6-8 hours. But while serving reheat and serve it warm.
- I prefer mine, steaming hot.
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Recipe
Kashayam | Herbal Tea | Home Remedy for Cold
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns/milagu
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera
- 1 teaspoon ajwain/carom seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds/dhaniya
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds/sombhu
- 6 pods cardamom
- 4 nos cloves
- ½ inch cinnamon bark
- 2 nos long pepper, thippali optional
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled , crushed
- 1 – 2 tablespoon grated jaggery
- 10 nos Fresh tulsi leaves.
Instructions
- Measure and keep all the ingredients ready. I slightly crushed the dry ingredients in my mortar-pestle. Though not necessary, i feel it adds flavor when crushed.
- Boil water in a heavy bottom sauce pan. When it comes to a boil, add all the dry ingredients. Let this boil in a medium flame fr 12-15 minutes.
- While the dry ingredients are boiling, add the fresh tulsi leaves and crushed fresh ginger to this.
- Towards the end add grated jaggery and remove it from the stove. Let it sit for a minute or two.
- Strain the kashayam to another vessel. Crush the strained ingredients to remove the last bit of juice (i always do)
- Serve it hot. Any leftover kashayam can be left on the kitchen counter for 6-8 hours. Warm and serve it hot.
Notes
- Ajwain/carom seeds can be replaced with 4-5 nos fresh Indian borage/Karpooravalli leaves
- Do not to drink it everyday, Once in ⅔ days is fine. The ingredients mentioned might make your body heat and you might end up with stomach issues.
I prefer to enjoy this kashayam steaming hot, atleast once a week. It engulfs you with warmth, like somebody covering you with a fluffy blanket on a cold day.
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Seema Sriram
The best ready for the cold cold days. I love how we feel instantly energised with this kashayam.
Mayuri Patel
This is what I need right now.. have a nasty cold. Making it right away. This kashayam recipe is easy to make with ingredients available in any Indian Kitchen. Love traditional homemade herbal teas.
Lata Lala
I have always loved and relied on ancient times home remedies that are sure shot for your health. With easily available pantry ingredients, this kashayam is breeze to make and sounds perfect for this weather.
Amrita Roy
Herbal tea is a must when someone is having cold and cough at home. It works like magic. I liked your version of herbal tea.