An Indian winter warmer

As temperatures plummet in Beijing's harsh winters and I feel like my brain is freezing, the one thing that instantly lifts my spirits is a cup of steaming hot South Indian rasam. Throughout my formative years in India, this spicy, heady, soupy concoction was proffered as a cure-all for ailments of the respiratory tract.

And, it never failed to work. Maybe it was the vitamin C rich tamarind, or lemon juice and tomatoes? Or, the phlegm-fighting properties of turmeric and pepper? Or, the digestion-aiding cumin and coriander seeds? The pungent smell of asafetida (a resin known for its curative properties) rising from the pot never failed to invigorate me. One dose and I was well on the way to recovery.

India, like China, has a strong culinary tradition and home-made herbal brews are a part of everyday life. The same spices that singe the palate also work wonders with setting right the balance of the three elements - pitha (bile), kapha (phlegm) and vayu (wind) - that are seen as the root causes of all physiological aberrations.