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Writer's pictureketaki haldipurkar

Home remedies - cough & cold

Updated: Dec 2, 2019

Home remedies that worked for my Bubu for common cough and cold.



Konkani/Goan home remedies for Bubu cough/cold.

My lil dude falls ill in cold or windy weather. Even though we bundle him up with lots of layers aka 2 tees + a jacket + a wool hat that cover ears + the hoodie if the jacket has one. It’s tough life. Here are some home remedies that work on him. They are traditionally made in Konkani homes; Goa/Karwar that’s where my ancestors are natively from.


#1 White Onion raas

You will need

  1. White onion (Purple onion, spring onion won’t work)

  2. Honey (Use agave syrup if your baby is under a year old)


Process

  1. Grate 1 inch of white onion.

  2. Squeeze the grated onion to get the juice out in a medicine server or a small bowl.

  3. This juice is very spicy. Mix 3 to 5 drops of onion juice with honey or agave to make it edible.

It’s not going to be a favorite but is definitely helpful.


#2 Kassai

A concoction of spices from your kitchen; and herbs found in an Indian kitchen garden.


You will need

  1. Coriander seeds- 1 teaspoon

  2. Cloves- 2

  3. Cardamone- 1

  4. Jeera- 1 teaspoon

  5. Cinnamon- 1 inch

  6. Pepper- 3 to 4

  7. Fenugreek seeds- ½ teaspoon

  8. Anistar- 1

  9. Carom (Ajwain)- 1 teaspoon

  10. Basil(Tulsi)- 5 sprigs 2 to 4 inches long. Better with stem.

  11. Lemon grass- 1 leaf

  12. Mint- 2 sprigs 2 to 4 inches long. Better with stem.


Other ingredients

  1. Jaggery- 2 teaspoon/as per taste. It’s to make it sweet enough to be enjoyed.

  2. Water- 2 to 3 cups


Process

  • In 2-3 cups water add all the above spices + herbs. Boil until the water is reduced by 1/3. The water would have changed it's color to dark-brown-black-ish.

  • Add jaggery stir. Let it boil for another 2 minute or until the jaggery melts in.

  • It is best if the child can drink 4 to 8 oz, 2 to 3 times a day. Only if possible, you can serve it warm. But if not do not stress on it, room temperature is ok too.

I just leave a silver tumbler filled with Kassai with a silicone sippy top. We call it juice. He drinks it at his will, even if he gets 2 tablespoons in it is good enough win than nothing.


Another brilliant thing my mom did was took all these ingredients to make 100 gms ish kassai powder. That way I do not have to scramble and rampage my masala cabinet on a cranky-clingy-sick-bubu-day. Grab some water, add 2 teaspoons of the power some jaggery and volla kassai is ready 15-20 minutes later.


If you plan to do the same dry roast the spices and sundry the herbs like tulsi, mint, lemon grass. This will help to store it for a year or more and prevent it from getting mold.


These are some of the home remedies that help my Bubu. I hope it adds to your list of to-dos on a sick-bubu-day. Hope we all have to face very little of those :)


Blog blooper

This is what really happens when I try blogging when Bubu is around. He wants to see, touch, mix, and help with everything. A lot ended on the floor, but that's the beauty of these home remedies the proportions are approximate so it ok to add more and eyeball when in doubt.


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