It’s cold season! Bring out the turmeric…

Yes, I know it doesn't look appetizing.. turmeric gargle

It’s that time of the year again… everyone around me seems to be sick. And I’ve found myself constantly telling people to drink ginger tea or gargle with turmeric water. Yes, I’m *that* person. Eventually I just decided I should post my recommendations on the blog and be done with it.

To be honest, I was never very big on home remedies. But my husband and my mother-in-law seem to have some pretty good ones, so I’ve tried their suggestions with an open mind, and I’ve usually been pleasantly surprised.

If you have a cold, stuff nose, sore throat, etc., here are my top three remedies:

1. Turmeric & Salt gargle: My mother-in-law suggested this when I was sick, and I’ve become a convert.  If you have one of those nasty colds where your throat is covered in gross phlegm and it hurts to swallow — try this. Heat up a mug of water until it’s nice and hot, add a spoonful of turmeric and a spoonful of salt. Stir well, and gargle with it (try not to swallow it, because it tastes nasty) about 3-4 times.

* Note: Do NOT do this in a white bathroom sink, because it will stain. Trust me.

2. Ginger Tea: Ginger tea is great for when you have a sore, phlegmy throat (can you tell I have sinus problems?). The ginger cuts right through the gunk, and it soothes your throat. Additionally, it helps to warm you up and fights nausea. My husband makes this by shredding ginger root with a grater, boiling it in a small saucepan with water and sugar, and then straining the ginger out.

*Side note: The last time I was in Mumbai, I came down with a throat infection, and my aunt gave me these home-made “candies” out of shredded ginger and jaggery, which is sort of like brown sugar. They were the best throat lozenges ever, and I need to find  the recipe. If any of you know it, could you pass it along to me, please?

3. Boiling water: My mother-in-law suggested this one last time I had a headcold. Take a large pot of water, boil it on the stove and turn off the heat. Basically stick your face in the pan, and put the towel over your head so the steam can’t escape. This will (sometimes, but not all the time) clear your sinuses out after a few minutes. And, even if it doesn’t, it cleans your pores out, so why not at least try, right?

Ok, now it’s your turn: Please share  your favorite home remedy?

The Indian Grocer #4: Frozen Lotus Root

Mmm….Not so much

Well, this is kind of a bummer to write. Because I love lotus roots, and I normally love frozen Indian food products. But, nevertheless, steer clear of frozen lotus. 

It doesn’t retain its crispness, and, even worse, it turns a really unappetizing gray color as it thaws. Ick.

I think it’s a shame they don’t sell lotus in the same way they sell things like water chesnuts or bamboo shoots — in a can. If they did, I think the roots would retain their texture – and maybe their color – a little better.

In the meantime, you have three choices if you are hankerin’ for lotus:

1. Get on a plane and fly to India.

2. Go to a grocery store, buy lotus root and begin the painstaking task of peeling them just enough to get the tough outer skin off, but not so much that you peel away half the root.

3. Give up.

I generally go with method #2, but since starting grad school, I have very little time and have started having to give up some of the “good things” in life. Unfortunately, lotus roots are going to fall in this category, unless someone can tell me where I can eat a lotus root curry in Washington DC.

Hopefully my next Indian Grocer Expedition will yield better results.