Classic Elixir – Chukku malli kaapi

Baby foods, Beverages, Food, culture & lifestyle, Medicinal recipes, Traditional recipes, Winter recipes

Chukku malli kaapi is a classic South Indian digestive elixir prepared using dried ginger & other spices, herbs and palm jaggery. Siddha and Ayurveda recommend to take fresh ginger in an empty stomach in the morning & dried ginger later in the night for the improved digestion. So we usually take fresh ginger juice or ginger jam (lehium) before breakfast & dried ginger classic elixir after dinner. Besides, we can serve the same elixir as a home remedy for common cough, cold & sore throat after infusing it with appropriate medicinal herbs & spices.

img_1706 Classic Elixir - Chukku malli kaapi
Chukku malli kaapi, a classic elixir

Chukku malli kaapi for infants:

Traditionally this elixir has been even fed to the babies every fortnight as it prevents regurgitation of milk. I remember my grandmother forcibly feeding chukku kashayam to my cousins when they were babies using an age-old infant feeding spoon, paladai. Paaladi also known as sangu (meaning conch shell), and got this name for the shape similar to a conch shell. Paladai is useful to feed bitter or spicy medicinal potion to infants as babies can not bear its sharp peppery or bitter flavor. When the potion is fed with sangu, the babies would gulp the liquid down instantly and they can’t spit this out. But for toddlers or kids we can use a spoon instead.

paalaadai1 Classic Elixir - Chukku malli kaapi
Chukku malli kappi with added milk for infants

Chukku malli kaapi for adults:

My grandma used to say “virundhum marunthum moondru naal”, meaning whether you are enjoying a feast or taking a medicine, it should be limited to 3 days only. So we take this medicinal usually for 3 consecutive days or until we can notice a significant improvement. But there are people who are addicted to this elixir. They can not fall asleep if they don’t drink chukku kaapi.

chuks1 Classic Elixir - Chukku malli kaapi
Chukku-malli kaapi for adults & children

When I got married I was surprised to see the relatives & friends of my parents-in-law turning up without notice and was amazed by mother-in-law’s hospitality.  She used to keep serving food to all of us every 2-3 hours till 9 pm (of course she had a cook to assist with). Everyday her last preparation in the kitchen would be a spiced elixir, and she served it with milk specially to her grandchildren. We were all playing cards or carrom with renewed energy while sipping chukku-malli kaapi late in the night. This recipe reminds me of those beautiful moments when we rendezvoused with my extended family.

Recipe for chukku-malli kaapi :

Time taken: 15-20 min

Yields : 500 ml

Serving: 100 to 150 ml for adults, 15 ml for infants

img_1700-scaled Classic Elixir - Chukku malli kaapi
Chukku malli kaapi to treat common cold & cough

Ingredients:

  1. Dried ginger – 1″ piece
  2. Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
  3. Peppercorns – Â½ tsp
  4. Cumin seeds – Â½ tsp
  5. Turmeric powder – Â¼ tsp
  6. Palm jaggery (or palm sugar) – as required
  7. Water – 1 Litre
img_1641-scaled Classic Elixir - Chukku malli kaapi
Chukku malli kaapi powder ingredients

How to prepare chukku malli kaapi:

  • Grind dried ginger, coriander & pepper into a coarse powder.
  • Toast cumin seeds in a hot pan until the aroma is released.
  • Add spice powder, roasted cumin, turmeric powder & water into a sauce pan and bring it to a boil.
  • Add palm jaggery while boiling.
  • When jaggery is dissolved into the solution, simmer until it is reduced to half.
  • Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh.
  • Serve warm with or without milk.
elixir Classic Elixir - Chukku malli kaapi
Chukku malli kaapi preparation

Tips & Tweaks:

  • Chukku malli kaapi for digestion: We can prepare chukku malli kaapi by adding betel leaves (paan leaves) while boiling the elixir and take this for improved digestion mainly after a heavy meal in the night. But adding too many leaves (or a finely chopped leaf) leads to strong unpleasant flavor, so one whole betel leaf is sufficient for every litre of water (not decoction).
img_1660 Classic Elixir - Chukku malli kaapi
Chukku malli kaapi with vetrilai for digestion
  • Chukku malli kaapi for treating common cold: We can add a few tulsi (holy basil leaves) and/or thoothuvalai (Solanum trilobatum) leaves.
img_1665 Classic Elixir - Chukku malli kaapi
img_1666 Classic Elixir - Chukku malli kaapi
  • You may replace palm jaggery with any available sweetener, if you are using honey, you can mix honey before serving when lukewarm.
  • Pepper & turmeric is a remarkable pair that it is not advisable to leave either of them.
  • It is not recommended to prepare chukku malli kaapi powder in large quantities and store them for later use. We can prepare this powder such that it can be used within 3 or 5 consecutive days but you can refrigerate the elixir up to 1 week.

89 comments on “Classic Elixir – Chukku malli kaapi”Add yours →

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  1. Traditional recipes are the best and our elders knew the best what and how and when to feed the family. Excellent traditional recipe, will try out since it winters now in my part of the world.

  5. Pingback: Golden Milk with Pepper – Megala's Kitchen

  21. My mom has always told me about this esp that its good for digestion but never tried this! Gonna try it someday, thanks for sharing this 🙂

  27. This is an excellent share. I love sukku podi and they are so healthy and great for our digestive system. Loved the story and nice to know about your MIL who is super active and loves to cook. More power to her. I guess the younger generation with low energy levels and sheer laziness have a lot to learn from elders like her.

  29. Thank you Meghala for sharing this! Your post took me back home ? and reminded me to make this healthilicious drink!!! Perfect to enjoy these freezing days!!
    By the way beautiful cup and saucer!! ?

  30. Hi just read your recipe which sounds good…but I am assuming it is the peppercorns you grind not the cumin ( as your first line quotes) as the next line states roast the cumin. Could I use fresh ginger if I finely chop as it is strained at the end or is dried ginger stronger?

    1. Yes, you are right, it was typed by mistake, cumin seeds have to be roasted and pepper to be powdered. This elixir is meant to be taken only in the night, in that case fresh ginger can not be used here. Fresh ginger can be used only in the morning & dried ginger only in the night. Thanks for reading and leaving your valuable feedback!

      1. Thank you for your response Megala…we all make typos don’t we….I didn’t know you couldn’t take fresh ginger at night..so thank you 🙂

  36. Excellent age old Elixir…we use to call it Kashayam…a perfect natural medicine for cold and cough….✔✔

  38. Very useful share. I was there in Kerala few times and what I noticed. The drinking water was of light pink coloured and was always luke warm. They never drink cold fridge water for what we Delhites are used too. I guess it was also digestive thing mixed in the water.

    1. Yes, these spices are our real treasures and we need to pass on their importance to younger generation ! Thanks for reading my posts !!

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