I always have dry ginger at home. Dry ginger is called sukku in Tamil and sonth in Hindi. Dry ginger is our regular ginger which has been dried. To make dry ginger, the fresh ginger is soaked in water, after which the outer coating is removed and then it is sun dried to get white coated dry ginger. Me and my family use it extensively in home remedies. Dry ginger has been used in home remedies for centuries. Dried ginger is also a good source of vitamins and minerals and it has been proven to be an effective antioxidant. Though dry ginger is the dried form of the regular ginger, it has more stronger flavor than the regular ginger. Each type of ginger also have their unique uses in home remedies and we never interchange them in remedies. Dry ginger stores well and I always sun dry it well before storing it. Since I am recording all the home remedies in the blog, you will find a lot of remedies based on dry ginger. It has been a common belief that dry ginger is mainly used for indigestion, but it is also used for treating weight loss, hair, cold, sinus, arthritis & indigestion.
Dry ginger for sinus & arthritis:
paternal grandfather always used to apply this paste on his forehead
whenever he had a headache. We call the paste “Sukku Pathu” in Tamil.
Dry ginger is rubbed on a sandal wood stone (sandanakal), which is
nothing but a large round smooth stone along with little boiled milk. If you don’t have a sandalwood
stone, you can rub it on any smooth stone. Make sure that the stone is
smooth or it will be difficult to collect the paste from the stone. When
you apply this paste on the fore head, it stings for some time. But
then after some time the stinging vanishes and the paste dries to a
thick coat on the forehead. It feels very good if you have a headache,
especially headache due to cold. As this paste stings initially when
applied, don’t apply this paste for children. This same paste can be applied for arthritis too and it gives good relief
Dry ginger for hair :
It is a tradition for Indian women to have oil bath on Fridays and then visit a
Temple. Traditionally sesame oil is heated with spices like dry ginger, pepper corns, cumin seeds and garlic pods and then when the
oil comes to lukewarm temperature, the oil is massaged well into the
scalp. The
oil should be lukewarm and should be massaged well into the scalp. One
feels really refreshed and relaxed after a hot oil massage. I think in
this fast pace of life, we should try to include these kind of age old
traditions to keep us relaxed. Because we add spices like dry ginger,
this oil can be safely used even in winter to be massaged into the scalp. You can find the method
Dry ginger for weight loss:
Dry ginger coffee is especially useful in keeping our digestion in peak order and helps in proper assimilation of food aiding in healthy weight loss. It is also very delicious and nutritious, especially since it is made with jaggery. To
make it, Coriander seeds and dry ginger are pounded together and boiled
along with water and palm candy till it reduces in quantity. It is as
simple as that. Please don’t use milk in this recipe, it will curdle.
Ginger and coriander seeds in this coffee, aids in digestion and palm
jaggery is rich in iron. We also make a home made coffee powder with dry ginger. It is made with spices like dry ginger, peppercorns, cardamom pods.It is also very effective in treating Indigestion.
Dry ginger for digestion
Dry ginger ground in butter milk is an effective home remedy for flatulence and proper functioning of digestive system. Good and effective digestion is one of the key to healthy weight loss. To
make this remedy, grind the dry ginger with one day old butter milk
(butter milk which is a bit sour) and crystal salt to a fine paste. Thin
it down with fresh buttermilk. The mixture should be thin. If you are
not able to grind it finely, strain the mixture. This remedy can be
safely given to children, but reduce the quantity of dry ginger for
them. Drink this once and you will feel better in no time. This is not
bitter at all, only a bit spicy to drink.
Dry ginger for cold:
Dry ginger also can be used in foot baths.This foot bath clears chest congestion and even relieves head aches. To
make the foot bath, first make the ginger infusion by mixing dry ginger paste with hot water and set aside. Take mustard seeds and
pound them in a mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Sprinkle the ground
mustard powder in a tub, that you are going to soak your feet in. Add
warm water to it and then add the ginger infusion to it and mix well.
Check the temperature of the water before soaking your feet. Make sure
that the water is in lukewarm temperature. If the person has cold or
chest congestion, it is best to cover them with warm towels, while using
the foot bath. You can find the method
Dry ginger for babies:
This dry ginger milk actually aids in digestion and it is a good remedy for
loss of appetite in children. Try this milk on young kids, who keep
repeating that they are not hungry. They usually get their appetite very
soon. Nowadays they serve dry ginger milk as a dessert, in most of the
marriages I visit. Drinking dry ginger milk is an acquired taste, but
once you start liking it, you will be hooked just like me. Some people
make this by adding dry ginger powder and sugar to milk. But I prefer
adding fresh dry ginger to whole milk, after pounding it in a mortar and
pestle, along with little sugar. If you boil it for a long time after adding dry ginger, the milk
will curdle and also keep the flame on medium low. The amount of dry
ginger you should add, depends on the age of the person, because this milk is quite
spicy. For young children, a small piece will do. If you like palm
candy, add it instead of sugar, it goes very well with this milk. It is
very comforting to drink this milk on a cold night
