Magic Potion/Kadha-- Cold and Cough Home Remedy

Hello Sweeties!!!! Fall weather is setting in my woods, the air is getting crisp and we all are falling in the cold trap; get it!!! Sorry, but jokes apart, Fall brings with it the regular signs of runny noses, nose twitching and coughs. 

Time to get those Flu shots. Along with it, I remember my mom the most in this season. Adding small bites of ginger to the tea with sugar/honey was a thing she most naturally did when the air got cooler. 

Donut had a nasty bout of cough that refused to go even after a round of anti-biotic. So to get rid of the persistent coughing I made this potion from what I could remember my mom making it  for me ages ago.


This is an age old Indian potion or "Kadha" Spelled as Ka-Dha. The recipe is passed down from generations and one of the commonly practiced home remedies for cough and colds.

You will need;
1.5 Cups water
1 Green Cardamom-Crushed with skin and pod
2 Cloves
1/2 inch stick Cinnamon
1/2 inch Ginger grated
1/2 tsp Lemon grass-Fresh or dried
1 Tspn basil Leaves or dried Tulsi Seeds 
Honey to taste

In a small pot, take the water and add the above except the honey, heat over medium heat and let the potion boil, till the spices give out the extract and the liquid changes to a slightly green color. 

Pour the mixture through a sieve in a cup, add the honey and enjoy the potion warm. Drink this 2-3 times  a day. Donut felt better in about 2-3 days, so what are you waiting for.

Mawa-Coconut Ladu/ Milk-Coconut Fudge-- Microwaveble version

Hello Sweeties!!!! Ganpati Baapa came and left and we are again missing him. The wait begins for anr year for him to grace us again. 

I am usually prompt with the traditions and the meal/Sweets making that go along with it., but this year I sort of slipped and forgot to make some thing sweet on the tenth day i.e Ganesh Visarjan or Anant Chaturdashi. 

Saved by my cousin S, who brought some Coconut ladu, she made, I thght its would be OK and God would kind of excuse me this time.

God seems to have excused me, but Munchkin was not so kind. After gobbling the ones  S gave, he hinted he wanted more.

 

This is a twist to the Modak peda, where I added coconut to the milk mixture. These do melt in your mouth, taste kind of fudgy and  need to be kept refrigerated due to the mawa and milk contents.

  

You will need;

3.5 oz Condensed milk

  3.5 oz dry Non fat Milk powder

** I used Carnation Brand 

1/4th Stick Butter

 4 Tbspn Brown Sugar

1.5 shredded Fresh Coconut- Frozen works too.

1 tspn Elaichi

1 tbspn Pistachio powder

In a microwaveable glass bowl, melt the butter and add in the rest of the ingredients, mix well and pulse in the microwave for 3 minutes stopping every minute to stir and mix. 

 

When the mixture looks cooked and  starts becoming slightly hard, remove from the glass bowl and let cool for about 10-20 mins. When its easy to handle, start rolling the mixture into ladu's or spread on a well buttered plate and cut into pieces after its cooled completely. Enjoy it in any form, ladu or Fudge, this does taste amazing.

Modak Pedha-Milk pedha( Microwave version)

Hello Sweeties!!! Missed me, I surely did miss you guys a lot. The reason for the long absence was a quick trip home and am I glad that I am back just in time to welcome the beloved bappa in my home.
 
My Mom does not have the bappa at my home but my aunt has it at her home...where we all assemble for the big day..we used to get up as early as we ccould....few of us rushed to the market to get fresh flowers and modak pedha's to distribute as prasad....then came the decorations for the Aras/mandir for the bappa...Moms would get busy with the elaborate lunch and Naivedya.. and best of All," Star of the day"-- Ukdiche  Modak.

I try to live up to my memories and wish that, my kids also have such memories associated with festivals and special occasions.

 

Apart form the regular Ukdiche modak(Steamed dumpling with coconut and jaggery filling) I also tried my hand with the milk/mawa pedha shaped like a modak; but this time I did get the modak mould from India. 

You will need;

7 oz Condensed milk

7 oz dry Non fat Milk powder

** I used Carnation Brand 

1/2 Stick Butter

2 Tbspn Sugar

1tspn Elaichi

Yellow food color- optional

In a microwaveable glass bowl, melt the butter and add in the rest of the ingredients, mix well and pulse in the microwave for 3 minutes stopping every minute to stir and mix. 

 

When the mixture looks cooked and  starts becoming slightly hard, remove form the glass bowl and let cool for about 10 mins. When its warm and easy to handle, start moulding the milk mixture into pedhas. if you do not have the mould, Use your fingers to shape them, like I did last year.

Ganpati Bappa Morya!!!! Let the Festivities begin!!!