Milagu legiyam, a traditional ayurvedic medicine made with black peppercorns. A simple home remedy for common colds and Seasonal infections.
Milagu marundhu | Home remedy for cold & cough | Grandma's Winter remedy | Pepper marundhu | Home remedy with black pepper | Winter kashayam | Homemade pepper marundhu
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What is Milagu Legiyam | Milagu Marundhu ?
Black peppercorns is called milagu in tamil. Milagu legiyam is ground black peppercorns cooked with ginger and jaggery to halwa like consistency.
Seasonal changes, bring a lot of allergy issues with kids and even some adults. This black pepper legiyam, an ayurvedic home remedy used by my grandma to ward off those seasonal allergies at its beginning stage.
Disclaimer : The above mentioned recipe, is just a home remedy for prevention of cold during winter and not a replacement for any cold/flu Medicine
Home Remedies
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.
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 tomato rasam, 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.
My north-indian friends make this Alsi pinni/Flaxseed ladoos, and this delish panjiri, during winters to keep the body warm and boost immunity. Gujarati's make this delicious Raab, wheat or millet flour cooked with spices to a soupy consistency. Every region, has its own set of winter menu that naturally preps the body to handle the seasonal changes.
It is a shame these home remedies are fading away, because we neglect to learn how our grandparents lived closer to nature and consumed seasonal, locally grown foods that contributed to their health and longevity.
Disclaimer : The above mentioned recipes are just a home remedy for prevention of cold during winter, to boost immunity and keep oneself warm and not a replacement for any cold/flu Medicine
Video on How to make Kashayam | Herbal Tea
Milagu Marundhu Recipe
This is my grandmother's recipe. Every winter, she would makes us swallow a teaspoon of homemade milagu legiyam, weekly once in the morning. Although we didn't enjoy its sharp peppery taste, its benefits were undeniable. It provided immediate warmth, penetrating every nerve in our bodies.
If you are making it for the first time, you might find the taste of pepper a bit more sharp, but trust me, this medicine is a keeper for those winter sneeze and cough.
How to make Black pepper legiyam
Please check recipe card below for exact measurements of each ingredient used and also for the detailed instructions
- Soak black peppercorns in milk overnight or atleast for 6 hours.
- Grind the pepper with the milk it is soaked with.
- Take the ground pepper in a heavy bottom pan, Add melted and strained jaggery and ginger to it.
- Cook the jaggery pepper liquid, in a medium heat.
- Let this cook and come together to a halwa-like consistency. Finally add ghee and take it off the stove.
How to use this Home Remedy ?
On cold days, take about a teaspoon for three consecutive days or on alternate days each week. If you have a naturally hot (pitta) body, take it once a week. Also, enjoy a cup of milk on the days you consume milagu marundhu.
This legiyam serves only as a home remedy to prevent colds in winter and should not replace cold or flu medication..
Milagu Legiyam | How to make Milagu Marundhu
Equipment
- indian style mixie/blender
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Whole black peppercorns
- ¼ cup milk boiled and chilled
- ¾ cup jaggery
- 3 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoon honey
- ⅓ cup ghee
Instructions
- Soak pepper in milk overnight and leave it on the counter. I used boiled and chilled milk for soaking. Next day morning, grind the pepper with the milk to a fine paste. The pepper has to be soaked for 5-6 hours maximum, so you can do the soaking in the day time too.
- Regarding leaving the milk on the counter, if it is a cold climate in your place, then leave it on the counter. If it is a hot climate and you feel the milk might spoil, then keep it in the fridge.
- Take the ground pepper in a heavy-bottom pan. Wash the mixer in which you ground the pepper with ¼ cup water and add that water to pepper paste. Cook this mixture in a slow flame, stirring often.
- While the pepper is cooking, take jaggery in a pan add ¼ water and cook in a slow flame until the jaggery is melted completely. Strain that jaggery for impurities .
- Add the jaggery and the shredded ginger to the pepper mix.
- Let this cook until the jaggery is fully absorbed, in a slow flame. Take care, it might splutter out of the vessel, so better to have a wide pan. Keep stirring often. It takes around 15-20 minutes for the liquid to get absorbed fully.
- At this stage add the ghee and mix well. Let this be on the stove for another 10 minutes or until it the fudge comes along with the ladle when stirred.
- Take it off the stove. Add honey and stir well. Let it cool, keep it in an air-tight container on the kitchen counter.
- On cold days, take about a teaspoon for three consecutive days or on alternate days each week. If you have a naturally hot (pitta) body, take it once a week. Also, enjoy a cup of milk on the days you consume milagu marundhu.
Notes
- The above measurements make about ½ -¾ cup of marundhu. Will fit in an 200 grams bottle.
- Do not skimp on the ghee, it is needed for the amount of pepper we are using in the recipe.
- If you are a naturally hot(pitta) body, then take this once in a week. And also have a cup of milk , on days you are taking this legiyam.
- If you are used to simple home remedies and ayurveda then this will definitely suit you, if otherwise do not try.
- This legiyam is just a home remedy for prevention of cold during winter and not a replacement for any cold/flu Medicine.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
I m not a Doctor or a Nutritionist The Nutrition information provided above comes from the plugin and is only an estimate.
Motions and Emotions
very useful post
nandoos kitchen
a very good recipe..
Gayathri Kumar
Perfect recipe for this season. I have been searching for some remedy and you have given it. Thank you Priya. Will try it immediately..
KrithisKitchen
Priya, should I leave the soaked pepper with milk overnight in room temperature or fridge. Isn't there a possibility of the milk getting spoiled when left out?
Priya_Srinivasan
Hi krithi, the temperature here right now is cold so i left it on the counter. If it is a warm climate, keep it in the fridge. Or soak it in the morning and leave it for 5-6 hours on the counter.
Priya_Srinivasan
Hi krithi, the temperature here right now is cold so i left it on the counter. If it is a warm climate, keep it in the fridge. Or soak it in the morning and leave it for 5-6 hours on the counter.
Kalyani
Good lehiyam there . I was wondering about the milk in d list of recipes but see that it's used to bring the heat of the pepper down.. Nice one Priya !will halve this and try out
Pavani
Homemade remedies are always the best. That pepper lehyam looks perfect for this cold & cough season.
Unknown
Once made, for how many days it will be good?
Priya Suresh
Excellent home remedy to try without any hesitation. Havent made these sort of homemade marundhu since a while, its getting chilled here. Its time to make this marundhu now for me.
Mayuri Patel
Another interesting legiyam recipe from you Priya. The consistency reminds me of Chavanprash. Our grandmothers knew how to combat winter ailments with home remedies.
Priya Vj
Milagu lehiyam seems to be a toned down version of Diwali marundhu. Certainly these kashayams and lehiyams are a keeper to give instant relief from sneezes and runny nose. I will make a small batch and keep it handy.
kalyani
The weather here is crazy recently - cold for a few days and then scorching hot again.. bookmarking this recipe to try it. Do you think I can use a cast iron kadhai to kalakkify this lehiyam ?
Seema
I think i can survive any winter with this marundhu. This is so good and feels so nice to have as well.
Radha
Awesome! I make pepper kuzhambu, rasam or kashayam. But I never made a lehiyam with it. I am bookmarking this recipe to have on hand during this winter season.