Home Remedies for Cough, Cold for Kids, Adults: How To Cure Viral Infections

Winter blues affect one and all, especially if you are low in immunity. So you are always on the lookout for home remedies for cough and cold, right?

You, I, and we have experienced viral infections frequently. Probably each one of us has had to deal with such infections every now and then. Changing weather puts you at a high risk of viral infections. Children are particularly vulnerable to cough and cold. But Indian grandmoms and great grandmoms were very particular about home made remedies for viral infections. They would bank heavily on home remedies for cough and cold and depend the least on prescription medications.

ginger candy with jaggery

instant panjiri gluten free cold remedy for kids, adults

home remedy for cough, cold, viral

I still remember the kadahas (therapeutic drinks) and soups that my grandmom would make for us when we would fall sick as little children. Our grandmoms would focus on anti-viral spices from nature's pharmacy, viz. ginger, garlic, turmeric, black peppercorns, basil leaves, and even almonds.

Home Remedies for Cough & Cold

Instant Panjiri - My Grandma's Cold Remedy (No cooking/no heating) 

Ever imagined why old is gold ? Why dadi ma's nuskhe are so popular? There are reasons galore to trust these home remedies from our grandmothers' cookbook, right? So is this super simple, instant recipe from my dadi's culinary book. I haven't had enough chance to see my dadi cook as she was gone when I was a 6 year old. Sigh!! She was a culinary master and dad says I have inherited a few of my dadi's traits - her culinary tricks and tactics. This recipe was dictated by dad and I followed his steps to the T.

This cold remedy has all the healthy ingredients that are easily available in your kitchens. Did I say this grandmom's cold remedy is yummy too?

grandmom's cold remedy

Ingredients

1 cup- bhuna kala chana (roasted gram/blac chickpeas)

2 tbsp- poppy seeds powder (better to take roasted to avoid raw smell)

2 tbsp- jaggery powder or more if you have sweet tooth (we like it subtly sweet)

1 tsp- black pepper powder

1 tsp- saunf powder (fennel)

1 tsp- dry ginger powder (saunth)

1/2 cup- roasted sesame seeds (til - I had black sesame)

Nuts of your choice - daadi used to add roasted groundnuts (I have added pumpkin seeds and almonds)

1/2 cup- Desiccated coconut powder (dad tells dadi used to add copra - my hardworking grandmom would grate copra) - optional (you may add any roasted nut powder instead or make the panjiri with the rest of the ingredients)

How to make instant cold remedy: Grandmom's Recipe

Put all the ingredients in a mixer and your instant cold remedy is ready :)

This would second as panjiri for those looking for a guilt-free, guten-free winter treat.
How to have it?
You can have it as is - 2 tablespoon at a time or with a glass of warm milk or tea.

Second Home Remedy for Cough/Cold

My mom has learned one proven home remedy for cough relief from her MIL. The recipe for cough is very simple. It goes like this.

remedy for sore throat

She takes a few black peppercorns and grinds them to powder. Keeps chopped almonds aside.

Then she heats 1 tsp of ghee or clarified butter. Stir in chopped almonds and instantly drops the pepper and sugar or jaggery as per taste. You can have this simple, spicy yet yummy home remedy for cough with tea, milk, or even with a roti (Indian flatbread).

My dad often takes it with roti.

I enjoy this cough remedy with my cup of tea.

cough ladoos

Home Remedy for Cough: Syrup by Anita Chahal aunty ji

home remedy for cough by Anita Chahal aunty

Anita Chahal aunty has shared some amazing home remedies with us in our group "Healthy Recipes by Homemakers."

Like mom, she is a simple, suave, and intelligent lady, who cooks simple yet yummy food in her kitchen.  Her home remedies are highly effective. I have personally tried her home remedy for cough, and I can vouch for that remedy. It is seriously effective.

Next comes this home made cough syrup by Deepti Aggarwal. Deepti is a mom to two beautiful kids and serves deliciousness at the dining table. However, she often talks of the proven recipes of her dear mom and grandmom.

She has some amazing ideas to transform bland unhealthy snacks into delicious healthy appetizers. Her suji momo recipe is a hit at my place.

home remedy for cough by Deepti Aggarwal

This is the instant remedy for dry cough that I was mentioning earlier. Do try it without an iota of doubt if someone at home is suffering from painful and sore throat. A has taken this home remedy for dry cough a number of times ever since we came across this recipe shared by Anita Chahal aunty. I have shared the remedy for cough with many of my friends and every single person has benefited significantly from the remedy.

home remedy for dry cough at night or day by Anita Chahal

Next comes this homemade chayavanprash recipe by Radhika Maheshwari. When Anita Chahal aunty shared her chayavanprash, I was seriously wondering about her culinary talent. I have no doubt about her home made chayavanprash recipe. Then Radhika Masheswari shared her chayavanprash with us. 

Believe me, these people are immensely talented. I have seen Radhika Maheshwari come up with some amazing recipes that will leave you surprised. She is simply wonderful in her kitchen lab.

home remedy for viral infections - homemade chayavanprash by Radhika Maheshwari

This is the homemade chayavanprash by Anita Chahal aunty ji. I have no words for her talent. She inspires us each day. When she came up with this home remedy for viral infections and immunity boost, I knew she is a bundle of talent.

home remedy for viral infections - homemade chayavanprash by Anita Chahal

Homemade cough tablets

I could never think of this, but Anita Chahal aunty came up with this homemade cough tablet recipe, though she has always credited Radhika Maheshwari for this recipe. Both these ladies have a goldmine of culinary talent that makes them the queens of their homes. Perhaps Anita Chahal aunty is the queen of our hearts as well. She has silently stolen away many hearts in the food world. 

homemade cough tablets

This home remedy for cold is a tried-n-tested recipe, which has never failed me (us). A recipe by my dearest mom, the cold remedy is therapeutic, besides being a lip-smacking blend of roasted chickpea flour, milk, black pepper, and nuts.

home remedy for cold

Another cold remedy passed onto my mom from my grandmom is a very delicious curry made from ginger and garlic paste. Remember, these root plants are immensely therapeutic and have proven healing properties. I will do a detailed post on it.

The cold remedy is simple.

cough cold remedy

Grind ginger and garlic to paste.

Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Add the ginger-garlic paste.

When the rawness goes, add salt, turmeric, and black pepper.

Mix everything well.

Add little amount of water so that the paste does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Stir in milk and let it boil until it reaches a thick consistency. We do not want it to be very thick. 

You can enjoy this remedy for cold with roti. It tastes yummy and is highly therapeutic.

Honey cough drops: Recipe credit: Parul Bansal

cough drops remedy

Ingredients to make Honey cough drops 
Honey -2 tablespoons Water-1/2 cup Sugar-1cup Cloves(grounded)-1/4 teaspoon Black pepper (grounded)-1/4 teaspoon Dried ginger powder-1/2teaspoon Lemon juice-1 tablespoon Liquorice powder-1/4 teaspoon Icing sugar - to coat the drops 

How to make Honey cough drops 

Mix all the ingredients (except icing sugar) in a heavy bottomed pan Heat the liquid on high flame till sugar dissolves 
After dissolving the sugar now cook at low flame till hard crack stage . 
Stir countinously .This may take 20-25 minutes.
Test by dropping a little into a bowl of ice cold water.if it cracks it is ready ..if it is chewy cook for few more minutes 
Remove from the heat 
Carefully pour the mixture in silicon candy mould and allow to cool at room temperature until the candy has fully set 
If you don't have candy mould you can use parchment paper or butter paper 
Remove the candies from moulds 
Toss the candies in icing sugar and store in an airtight jar

Ginger candy for chemotherapy patients, motion sickness and cold remedy

ACV as Cough Remedy

Another home remedy for cough that never fails me is apple cider vinegar and honey concoction. It soothes the throat as the alkaline environment helps kill infectious bacteria in the throat. I always make it a point to take this sour remedy for cough every time I suffer from sore throat.

Cough remedy tip: If a loved one is suffering from a sore throat, you cannot leave them to suffer just like that. Stir in a tablespoon of honey in lukewarm water and let the patient sip in the mix slowly aftr every 3-4 hours. This remedy for cough will surely help relieve their symptoms.

Home Remedy for Cough

Taking leaf from Anita Chahal aunty's dry cough remedy, I have come up with another effective remedy for cough symptoms. Here it is:

Take a few black pepper corns.
Take equal amount of crystallized sugar.
We need little amount of fresh ginger juice, 1/4 tsp of carom seeds or ajwain, and a small piece of cinnamon (dalchini).

Boil all these ingredients together until the water reduces to half.
Sip when it is still hot and you will find immediate relief from a sore throat.

Bottom Line

This collection of home remedies for cough and cold should help you manage your viral infection symptoms during changing weather. These remedies for viral infection come in handy any time every time.

So if a loved one has low immunity or frequently suffers from viral infections, what are you waiting for? Why not give some of these home remedies for cough and cold a try?

I am sure you guys will benefit immensely from this cough remedy collection. Do write to me about your experience.