Vetrilai Karpuravalli Kashayam

This tonic is a superb remedy against cough and cold!

It also takes care of issues with indigestion, and is suitable for adults and children alike.

If someone you know has been suffering for some time from a cold, giving them this remedy 3 mornings in a row will almost certainly cure it. And it will also fire up their digestion and appetite again!

The method:

• In a thick bottomed, deep saucepan, dry roast 1 teaspoon of Cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon of Black Peppercorns on a low flame until the Cumin has browned slightly.
• Introduce 2 cups of water to the saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat. Then rip up and add 2 Betel leaves (Vetrilai) and 8-10 Ajwain leaves (Karpuravalli). Mix well and allow to boil for about 3-4 minutes. Then cover partially and allow to boil until the volume reduces to half of the original. The water will have turned brown. Turn the heat off.
• Let the contents stay as they are in the saucepan overnight, the colour will have turned considerably darker by the next morning. Heat it up slightly, strain and consume on an empty stomach in the morning. ⅓ cups should suffice for one adult, and about half of that for a child.

It is suitable for anyone above 2 years of age, and it can even just be taken twice a month as a preventive immune booster!