A kaadha to tackle the Covid!
Growing up, my mom’s most practised solution to my throat problems were either a nasty-tasting, brown tablet called Sualin or the vintage haldi doodh (turmeric milk). If the infection got worse, I’d be promoted to the care of antibiotics for rescue. While I had heard of kaadha, I never encountered it during my treatment.
Only until recently when I got married did I get to meet this magical healing potion called kaadha, courtesy my dear mother-in-law. A passionate believer of natural Indian remedies, she refuses to use allopathy unless imperative.
Talking about imperative, this kaadha, suddenly, has occupied quite a formidable space in our daily regimen. Without revisiting the apocalypse that the Covid-19 has unravelled, the point to note is that this whole situation has forced us to not just look well from the outside but also from the inside.
This is where the kaadha comes in. It is an immunity-booster with anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. And trust me, it starts working right from your first gulp! This one being a South-Indian version of kaadha, you could unblinkingly shove off even the slightest apprehensions about its taste. Why? Because everything tastes better as you move southwards in India! As it glides down into your throat, this concoction of herbs, spices and sweetness quite literally packs a punch.
What do you need?
For a serving size of 2 cups, you will need:
- Whole black pepper – 1.5 tsp
- Whole coriander seeds (Dhaniya) – 1.5 tsp
- Carrom seeds (ajwain) - 1.5 tsp
- Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1.5 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1.5 tsp
- Medium-size ginger – 1
- Jaggery (preferably palm jaggery)
How to make?
- In your usual tea pan, put all the first 5 ingredients. Dry roast them on a stove, keeping the flame at the lowest. Keep tossing vigorously and constantly, lest the spices get burnt.
Quick byte- Dry roasting spices let off appetising aromas, as their original compounds re-combine themselves to create new deeper and more rustic flavours.
2. Keep stirring till you hear a crackling sound from the spices. This takes a max of 2–3mins. Any burning smell is your cue to turn off the gas immediately. Your mixture should resemble close to this-
3. Add 2.5 cups of hot water to this mix. It is preferable to add hot water as it reduces the cooking time. If not, you can also add normal water and let it come to a boil.
4. While the water is getting boiled, peel the ginger and crush it in the mortar and pestle. Then, add the ginger and 2 heaping spoonful of jaggery into the brew.
5. Let it boil for a good 5–7 mins. Lastly, strain, serve and CHUG! Of course, I’ll warmly accept the whole-hearted appreciation that your throats and souls would surely shower upon me.
Why I recommend it?
In times of working from home, this could be a great substitute of your shaam ki chai. Being absolutely non-caffiene but more-than-equally potent, the kaadha could be very handy for people trying to reduce their caffeine consumption.
As cliché as it may sound, stay healthy, stay safe. Adiós guys! Just hang in there until the next recipe.
