Salaams,

This is a recipe that I’ve written down a few times and each time I’ve managed to lose it. It’s a family home made natural recipe for a cold and as far as I know it doesn’t exist on the internet. I just want to say thanks to my lovely sister in law who went through it with me on the phone today 😁♥️…

I’m going to transfer it from the old A4 envelope I scribbled it on today and hopefully this will mean it will be here for me when I next need it inshaAllah!

I remember when I made it a few years ago with my dear mother in law, may Allah grant her jannah. I painstakingly wrote everything down and, to her amusement, asked her to measure the ‘handfuls’ and pinches of the ingredients she was adding to the pot. She took my piece of paper, folded it and placed it inside the generous amount of dried gooseberries she gifted to me as we left. I kept that bagful of gooseberries and consulted that piece of paper, remembering with fondness that afternoon every time I made it after that…when those particular gooseberries were used up, I don’t know what happened to that piece of paper! Oh dear me. The funny thing is I think she knew that by putting it in the bag, she ensured that the recipe was kept safe! Well, it worked for a time anyway.

OK, so here we go.

Ingredients

(I’m sorry I didn’t measure the ingredients here. Take a handful to mean the amount that will fit in the palm of an average-sized hand. Bear with me. I will update this in due course!)

125g of butter

1 handful of fennel seeds

1 handful of almonds

2 garlic bulbs

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp dried chilli flakes

6-8 green chillies (to taste, but the more chillies you add to the dish, the better it’s said to be for your cold!)

1 handful of chopped coriander

1 handful of dried gooseberries

6-8 cups of boiled water

Method:

1. Begin by melted the butter on low heat in a large sauce pan.

2. Grind the fennel and the almonds together in a blender or food processor.

3. Add this ground mixture to the butter and fry for 5-7 minutes.

4. Crush the garlic and add it in. I simply add a dash of water and put it into my blender to make it easier.

5. Add the salt, dried chilli flakes and turmeric.

6. Keep stirring on low heat for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile boil a kettle full of water and soak the dried gooseberries in a bowl of water for 5 minutes.

7. Add the gooseberries to the pot along with the rest of the boiled water (6-8 cups). Add as much water as you wish here. If you’d like a more watery sauce add more, if you’re going to eat it with chappatis add less.

8. Dimmer on low heat for 30 minutes with the lid on.

10. Keep some tissues close by because if it works, you will need them! 😁

Take care,

Have a wonderful evening!

Sidra