Try these five DIY kadhas to beat monsoon illnesses

Kadhas have always been associated with good health, but in the pandemic, they became all the more popular. With the summer season coming to an end and monsoons beginning, there is a possibility of seasonal illnesses. This, coupled with the risk of the coronavirus infection, makes one want to look for ways to boost their immunity. And what better than kadhas to do it naturally?

Vrinda Nair, a dietician at Healthspring, shares with indianexpress.com five simple recipes for making kadhas at home. “Kadhas are Ayurvedic remedies for cold, cough and infections that can protect us from monsoon illnesses and are also helpful in boosting immunity. These can be easily made with readily available kitchen ingredients like cardamom, pepper, cloves, honey, etc.,” she says.

1. Tulsi and black pepper

Ingredients

– 2 cups of water
– 1 tsp sugar
– 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely crushed
– 1 tsp finely-chopped ginger
– 1 tsp desi ghee
– 1-2 cloves
– A few tulsi leaves

Method:

* Heat ghee in a saucepan. Add the cloves, black pepper, ginger and tulsi.
* Once the crackling of the spices stops, add water and sugar.
* Cook the mixture on a medium flame for 15-20 minutes; do not forget to give it an occasional stir.
* Add some tulsi leaves and cook for another two minutes.
* Drink the kadha while it is hot.

2. Tulsi and clove kadha

Ingredients

– Handful of tulsi leaves
– 3-6 cloves (or as reqd)
– 1.5 cups of water

Method:

* Boil water along with tulsi leaves and cloves. Let the water reduce to half.
* Let it cool for some time.
* Consume it 2-3 times a day with a pinch of rock salt.

Ayurvedic kadha for fighting seasonal infections, made using ginger, tulsi, black pepper, clove and honey. (Photo: Getty/Thinkstock)

3. Ginger, lemon and honey kadha

Ingredients

– 1 tbsp of ginger juice
– 1 tbsp honey
– ½ tbsp lemon juice

Method:

* Add honey and lemon juice to the ginger juice in a glass bowl and stir well till the honey is completely dissolved.
* You can have this kadha once a day with warm water on an empty stomach.

4. Cinnamon tea

Add ½ tbsp each of ginger powder, fennel seeds and cinnamon, with a pinch of clove powder to one cup of hot water. Let the herbs settle for about 10 minutes, then strain and drink.

5. Kadha chai

Ingredients

– 3-4 fresh ginger
– 1 tsp turmeric
– 3 medium pieces of cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
– 4 pieces of cardamom
– 4 tulsi leaves
– 4 cups water
– A few dry leaves of saffron
– Honey to taste

Method:

* Put ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon and tulsi leaves in a mortar or a blender.
* Add this mixture to a pot of water and heat. The whole mixture should boil for about 5 minutes so that the ingredients mix well.
* Strain the kadha and pour in cups. You can add honey according to taste and can also add a few strands of saffron.
* Drink kadha as warm as possible.

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