Turmeric Milk For Coughs and Colds

In Ayurvedic medicine, a popular way to get the healing benefits of turmeric is to prepare it in a milk decoction, gently heating milk with turmeric and other spices to make a warming and healing drink. This recipe uses home made cashew nut milk as a dairy alternative, but coconut milk would also be a lovely option. A good teaspoon of lucuma powder is optional as a natural and low GI sweetener to round out that bitterness. This drink is extremely comforting and nice to sip on right before bed.

A word about the medicinal benefits of turmeric from the chef Lauren Glucina:

Beloved turmeric is a spice that works on the digestive, urinary and circulatory systems. It has a bitter, astringent and pungent taste, and a wide variety of therapeutic uses (amenorrhea, anemia, blood purifier, blood tissue formation, jaundice, hepatitis, circulation, inflammatory bowel disease, haemorrhoids, water retention, indigestion, gas, clearing mucous, protein digestion, urinary diseases, fever, bruising, acne, and as a natural antibiotic and general anti-inflammatory agent among many others). Its antibacterial and antibiotic properties make it particularly useful for treating the common cold, and it also has the added benefit of helping to expel mucous.
Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons raw cashews
• 4 tablespoons shredded coconut
• 1 cup water
• 1 heaped teaspoon lucuma powder
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Pinch of clove
• Pinch of coarse sea salt

Instructions

1. Blend the cashews, coconut flakes and water till creamy.
2. Strain through a nut milk bag and discard the pulp (you now have cashew milk).
3. Put the liquid back in the blender with the rest of the ingredients and give it a quick whizz.
4. Transfer to a pot on the stove, bring to the boil (or heat gently until warm to the touch), remove from heat and serve warm with a dusting of cinnamon.

Notes

You may also like to try using coconut milk in place of the cashew milk.