A Tribute to Cooking: Indian Home Remedies

[Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a herbalist. These home remedies are not scientifically or empirically proven for their effectiveness in controlled conditions. Please exercise caution and judgment before following any of these suggestions. I have used many of these remedies and they have helped me and my family. ]

My mom has a trove of home remedies up her sleeves, and she keeps adding to it with more simple remedies utilizing roots and herbs commonly available in India. She doles them out as the first round of medication before resorting to modern medicine. I have often used them alone or in combination with western medicine, and in my case, most of these remedies have resulted in at least a temporary relief. At the very least, they have not caused any adverse reactions.

I will keep adding to this list as we discover more simple remedies.

{Please refer to the Glossary page if you would like additional information on the ingredients and how they look}

For Sore Throat/Cough

Boil or heat 1 cup of milk with 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (freshly ground from turmeric root, if possible) and 2 teaspoons honey or rock sugar. Mix the ingredients well. Strain the milk and sip it when warm to relieve and comfort sore throat, cough, and associated cold symptoms.

For Stomach Issues / Digestive Issues / Heartburn etc.

Add 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds / jeera to 5 cups of hot water. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes. Then, drain the cumin water and drink this instead of regular water. It relieves any digestion related issues. Plus cumin water is like having cumin tea - it's earthy and comforting.
Boil 1 teaspoon omam seeds / oregano seeds / ajwain and 2 betel leaves (if available) in 2 cups of water. When the leaves wilt and the water comes to a boil, remove from heat. Strain and have the water to relieve digestion.
Add dried ginger powder (about 1 teaspoon) to 2 cups of hot water. Add a dash of grated jaggery/brown sugar/honey if you would like. Stir well and sip, if your stomach is feeling out of sorts.
Mix 1/2 teaspoon hing/asafoetida in 1 cup buttermilk. Mix well and have to relieve flatulence and heart burns.
Chew on some fennel seeds (1/2 - 1 teaspoon worth) for a quick relief from bloating, flatulence etc.
Fry 2 teaspoons of dried neem flower in a tablespoon of ghee/clarified butter until the neem flower turns brownish black. Mix with some hot cooked rice and salt. Neem (and neem flower) are great antiseptics. If you are suffering from stomach aches, digestive issues, or suspect parasitic infection, this small meal will help (in addition to other medications you are taking). OR Brew some Neem flower rasam/broth.
Dry roast 2 teaspoons of vendhayam / fenugreek seeds until they begin to splutter and they change color. Grind with salt to a fine powder. Add 1 teaspoon of this powder to a small quantity of hot cooked rice and 1 teaspoon of ghee/clarified butter. Have this as your first course (lunch or dinner) to relieve stomach aches, bloating etc.
Fry 2 teaspoons of manathakkali vathal / dried Turkish berry (see my glossary page if you are unfamiliar with this) in a tablespoon of ghee until roasted. Add this to hot cooked rice along with some salt. Mix and have this as a first course (lunch or dinner) to heal or relieve stomach wounds.
Steam/Cook some garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper and eat two to three cloves. Cooked garlic is not that pungent, promise :). It helps with heartburn and relieves bloating. Or brew some garlic rasam/broth.
For the ultimate herbal remedy for stomach and digestive, take a couple of spoons of this concoction. It is called Deepavali Marundhu, prepared during the holiday and festive season when people over-eat and upset their stomach. It has a specialized list of ingredients that may be hard to procure if you are outside India.

To Increase Appetite...

If you have nausea-like symptoms that prevent you from eating or having an appetite, try this. Grind 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds. Add 1 inch piece of peeled ginger and grind with a little water. Add this to a saucepan, pour 1 cup of water and let it come to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of grated jaggery and boil till the jaggery dissolves. Strain this. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon. Mix well and drink warm.

Chew a betel leaf with 1/2 teaspoon of omam / ajwain / oregano seeds and a pinch of salt.

If you are feeling under the weather...

Brew some pepper-cumin rasam/broth (recipe here)

Brew some kanda thippili & arisi thippili rasam (recipe here) (thippili is called Long Pepper)

For Insomnia

Mix 2 teaspoons of honey in 1 cup of warm milk. Drink before bed for some peaceful sleep.

For Post-Natal Care

Recovering moms are given Pepper Kuzhambu / Milagu Kuzhambu to heal wounds and recover.

To Relieve Menstrual Cramps

Dry roast 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds / jeera until well roasted (almost brownish black). Add 1.75 cups water to this and boil this well until the liquid reduces to half the volume. Drain the water. Add 1 teaspoon butter or ghee and mix well. Drink the liquid when still warm to relieve stomach aches and specifically menstrual cramps. This is has been extremely effective for many people I know.