Thipilli kashayam-A cure for cold and chest congestion

Ingredients:

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• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Ajwain - 1 tsp
• Jeera - 2 tsp
• Pepper corns - 5
• Long Pepper/Thipilli - 2 to 3
• Dry ginger powder /dry ginger - 2 tsp / a 1/2 inch piece
• Garlic pods - 5 to 6
• Panam kalkandu/Rock candy crystal - 3 tsp

Method:

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• Dry roast thipilli,pepper,coriander seeds,jeera,ajwain in a kadai till the pepper bursts and coriander seeds turn brown.set aside to cool.
• Chop the garlic into fine pieces.

• Crush the roasted ingredients roughly using a pestle and mortar along with garlic and dry ginger.

• If you are using dry ginger powder,skip dry ginger in the above step.

• Add the crushed ingredients along with dry ginger powder in a kadai and add 2 cups of water.

• Let it boil till the the water gets reduced to half of its quantity.

• Add the rock candy crystals and stir well till it melts.Adjust the quantity of crystals based on sweetness.Do not make it too sweet as the kashayam needs the taste of pepper and ginger for subsiding the cold.

• Switch off the flame.Strain well using a strainer.

Serve hot and get better with cold or cough.