Back home in Goa, we’d have our mums and Avozinha too, give us all the homemade remedies to keep colds and flu away. The world has in recent years started using the turmeric root widely but in India, it has been an antiseptic used for generations along with some other herbs and spices.
Every spice in India has some benefit or the other. When mixed as concoctions these spices can heal you from any ailment. With Covid-19 entering our lives, these few homemade recipes are surely going to help you keep those flu-like symptoms at bay.
Also read: 50 essential foods to build your immunity
This blog post has been long overdue actually because we are already in the fourth year since the beginning of the pandemic in 2019. How crazy is that!!
HOMEMADE ‘CUZUMENTE’/ KHADHA
Whenever we are down to Goa and at home in Moira, and if we have a little sniffle or cough, Nigel’s mum would make this concoction of spices and herbs to ease our throat aches and blocked nose.
Even half a cup of this warm elixir would make us instantly feel well and back to normal. Since the time Nigel’s parents knew I blogged about food, they always wanted me to share this recipe with you all.
So here you go, below is the recipe for Moira Mama’s cuzumente or Khadha.
Moira mama’s Cuzumente
This concoction of herbs and spices are boiled together until reduced and served warm.
- pot
- 4 cups Water
- ½ inch Ginger root (roughly crushed)
- ½ tsp Dry Coriander Seeds
- 5-6 nos Black peppercorn (slightly crushed)
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
- 5-6 nos Cloves
- Sugar/Honey/crystalised sugar lumps (to taste)
- 1 nos White Onion (small, roughly diced into large chunks)
- 5-6 nos Fresh mint leaves
- 1-2 inch long Lemon Grass stalks
- 7-8 nos Holy Basil (including the sprig)
Add all the ingredients together and boil until the water is reduced down to half and the concoction has a dark colour to it.
- Holy Basil is also commonly called Tulsi
- Crystalised Sugar lumps or candied sugar is commonly known as Kodi Sakor in Goa. The sweetness is generally added towards the end especially if it is had with honey instead of sugar. Do not boil honey with the concoction.
This cuzumente can be had first thing in the morning or even throughout the day. You make it and store it in the refrigerator and reboil it whenever ready to consume. This should always be had warm.
HALDI DHUD
I’ve previously shared this recipe as golden milk here on the blog. This recipe is simple to make and is best had before going to bed at night. Turmeric besides having antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties will also facilitate a sound night’s sleep.
There are various ways you can make this recipe.
Simply add some boiled milk to a cup with half a tsp of turmeric powder and add some natural honey to it and you’re sorted. That’s the simplest recipe you can make of this golden milk.
Another recipe is boiling a fresh turmeric root in milk and then drinking it with some honey or sugar.
Yet another recipe that my mother used to make for us when we were little and down with a very bad flu was, boiling some milk with turmeric and garlic and then adding some honey to it in a large cup. It was like a warm hug in a cup. Such lovely fond memories from childhood.
This next way of making this golden milk is the way we normally make it here at home back in the UK. We add half a tsp of turmeric powder to warm milk in a cup along with a pinch of white pepper powder and some freshly grated nutmeg. Drizzle some Manuka honey on this and you are good to go. A cup full of this joyful milk will make you feel your best instantly.
[wprm-recipe-roundup-item id=”2122″]EGGNOG MARSALA/EGG FLIP
My godmother’s mum, also fondly known as mama grande always used to make this egg flip whenever we had a severe chesty cough or cold.
Her version doesn’t use milk. Simply whisk an egg yolk with sugar until a smooth fluffy consistency is achieved. To this mixture add hot coffee and some brandy and you’re good to go.
Mama grande’s Egg flip
This concoction of warm eggnog is perfect to keep your cold and cough at bay
- 1 nos Egg Yolk
- 3 tsp Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Hot black coffee
- 1 tsp Brandy
Whisk the egg yolk with sugar until very light and fluffy.
To this egg mixture add a tsp of Brandy and hot black coffee.
Drink this warm.
Nigel’s parents back home make this recipe a little differently. They whisk together an egg yolk, little instant coffee, brandy, a pinch of turmeric and sugar. Once all these ingredients are well-incorporated top it up with hot milk gradually stirring. This drink is had warm.
For fun, I also have this other eggnog recipe which is just lovely during winters and especially during the festive season.
[wprm-recipe-roundup-item id=”2747″]Candied Onions
This is a very simple recipe with just two ingredients, finely chopped white onions and granulated sugar. My mum used to make this for us when we were little. She prepped this and kept it covered overnight at room temperature. The next morning we were asked to have the juice which was extracted as a result of the onions sweating in the sugar overnight. This would be a mildly spicy-sweet syrup-like consistently spoonful which would ease a hurting painful sore throat or rough cough.
These 4 homemade recipes always worked like magic to keep cold and flu at bay. I hope they help you too. Leave a comment and let me know if you’ve used any of these homemade recipe hbefore.
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Stay safe and healthy xx