Tulasi Kashayam

This is what mom makes when my papa or granny or anyone other than a kid gets fever .My granny is someone who never takes anything other than paracetamols and now even she swears by mom's kashayam.

2 - handfulls of tulasi...(wash and shred with hands)

1 inch - ginger crushed

5 - garlic cloves crushed

little less than 1/2 tsp - fenugreek seeds(lightly crush)

1/2 tsp - cumin seeds(lightly crush)

one pinch -turmeric

10 to 12 - whole peppercorns (crush them)

2 - coffee mugs of water(must be aound 3 cups of water)

Boil all these preferably in an earthen vessel (we call it mankalam or manchatti) till the 2 glasses of water reduces to 1 glass.Boiling needs to be done at a low temperature. filter the above and also extract the juice from the left over (ie the tulasi,ginger etc mix that remains once the concotion is filtered).just squeeze the left overs with your hand.U can have this 3 times in a day....(one glass divided into 3 parts) before food.To sweeten it(if it is difficult to drink otherwise) you can add a piece of jaggery(sharkara in malayalam).

The above mix works when u have a fever and is also good for cold