Remedy

Ajwain & Saunf Kadha

An aromatic carom-seed and fennel decoction, built on the familiar Indian habit of chewing spices after a meal.

Helps with

By PranaJiva

Editorial Team

Form
Tea or drink
Preparation
10 minutes
Makes
1 cup, about 200 ml
Best time
After food
Suits
Vata, Kapha
Ajwain & Saunf Kadha

What you need

  • 1¼ cups Water
  • ¼ tsp Ajwain (carom seeds) (lightly crushed)
  • ½ tsp Fennel seeds (saunf) (lightly crushed)
  • a small pinch Jaggery (for flavour, stirred in at the end, optional)

How to make it

  1. Crush the ajwain and fennel lightly together.

    1 minute

  2. Add them to boiling water and bring it down to a gentle simmer.

    5 minutes

  3. Cover and leave it to steep off the heat.

    2 minutes

  4. Strain into a cup, and stir in the jaggery while it is still warm if you are using it.

    2 minutes

How much, and how often

Half a cup to one cup after food, occasionally. Do not increase the ajwain to chase a stronger effect — ajwain gets harsh long before it gets more useful.

Best taken: After food

When to expect a change: You will notice the aroma and the warmth while you are drinking it. There is no predictable timeline beyond that, and none should be expected.

Why it works

Why ajwain, and why so little of it

Ajwain is the sharpest thing in most Indian spice boxes, and the traditional preparations that use it are notable for how little they use. A quarter of a teaspoon in a cup and a quarter of water is not caution for its own sake — past that the drink turns bitter and starts to irritate the stomach it was meant to settle.

Fennel is doing the other half of the job. It is sweeter and rounder, and it makes the ajwain drinkable in the first place. What you end up with is a household infusion with a long cultural history behind it, which is a different claim from evidence that it treats gastritis or IBS — it does not, and nothing here should be read as saying so.

Before you try this

Do not use if

  • You are allergic to ajwain or fennel
  • You have active digestive irritation — an ulcer, gastritis or a reflux flare-up — that spices make worse

Take care

  • Ajwain is pungent and can feel irritating when it is concentrated. A quarter teaspoon is the whole of it.
  • If you get heartburn, reflux or a burning feeling, this is the wrong direction — stop rather than persist.
  • Severe or recurring stomach discomfort needs examining, not a stronger kadha.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding & children
Concentrated ajwain decoctions are best avoided in pregnancy and while breastfeeding unless your doctor has cleared it. This recipe is written for adults.
How long is too long
An occasional drink, not a daily one. Digestive symptoms that keep coming back over weeks are not something to manage from the spice box.

This is traditional Ayurvedic guidance shared for general wellbeing. It is not a diagnosis and not a substitute for medical advice. If a symptom is severe, persistent or worsening, or you are pregnant, taking prescribed medicine or managing a diagnosed condition, speak to a qualified doctor before trying it.

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