Paati vauthiyam - Grandma's home remedies

"Paati" means grandma and "vaithiyam" means cure in Tamil (my native language). In India there are many home remedies available to treat minor ailments like common cold, indigestion, acid reflux etc. Our grandmothers and mothers use the herbs, roots and spices they use in everyday cooking as homemade medicines and honestly most of them work like a charm. In this blog I will share with you some of the common home remedies followed in my household. I do not have any medical proof that they are 100% effective but I can tell you from my personal experience that they are very helpful with no side effects.

Home remedies for common cold

1. Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper and 1 teaspoon of honey into a glass of warm milk and mix well. This drink helps our body to fight common cold and cough. It is advisable to drink this milk right before bedtime.

2. Take a small piece of ginger root , peel it and wash it. Crush the ginger using a mortar and pestle. Once it's crushed squeeze the root to get fresh juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon of ginger juice and 1 teaspoon of honey in a small cup, mix them well. Drink this syrup in the morning before breakfast. This home remedy helps our body to fight the common cold and clears chest congestion.

Home remedies for indigestion and bloating

1. Add 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds and 3 cups water in a pot. Boil the contents for 10 minutes then let it cool down. Filter the water . This drink helps to improve the digestive ability of our body and the coriander seed has the ability to reduce the burning sensation due to acid reflux .

2. Add 1/4 tsp of Asafoetida powder, 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a cup. Mix the contents well using a fork and then add 1 cup water. Take another cup and pour this yogurt water back and forth from one cup to another. You will get a foamy yogurt drink. This drink helps our body to relieve bloating.

3. Take a teaspoon of fennel seeds and chew the raw seeds after a lunch and dinner. The fennel increases our body's digestive power and it also has sweet licorice taste to it.