Ginger anise chews

Both ginger and fennel seeds stimulate digestion, so if my digestive fire is feeling low, I eat two or three of these matchsticks to get the fire going! To make the mild version of this recipe, separate the ginger cooking water, which you could enjoy as a tea. Otherwise, see the tip below for a slightly easier method that gives you a kick up the backside and gets your nose running if you’re feeling congested! The jaggery or maple syrup helps to tame the fiery flavour of the ginger with sticky sweetness, so I’ve included this in the sweet treats section because it’s a great way to start your meal with that all-important sweet taste while stimulating digestion without filling you up. If you feel you’ve overdone it with eating (easily done during festive times!) then a couple of these chews work well to end a meal.

A word of caution: no matter how more-ish they are, avoid snacking on these willy-nilly or you will keep your digestion forever on edge.

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Makes 200g

1 tbsp fennel seeds or 1½ tsp ground fennel seeds

200g fresh ginger

120ml (½ cup) water

100g (½ cup) jaggery or maple syrup (less if you’re feeling Kapha)

pinch of flaky sea salt (optional)

1 Lightly toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Set aside to cool.

2 Peel the ginger using the back of a teaspoon, then slice into matchsticks or grate using the coarse side of a grater. Place the strips of ginger in a small saucepan with the water, cover and bring to the boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 30–45 minutes, lid on, until tender. Keep an eye on it and add water if needed.

3 Drain the ginger cooking water into a jug and set aside. You can enjoy this hot or chilled as ginger tea or tonic – dilute with more water as needed.

4 Add the jaggery and salt to the pan with the ginger. Simmer, uncovered, over a low heat for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn, until the ginger has turned darker in colour, is slightly translucent and the water has completely evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the fennel seeds.

5 Spoon the mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt, if desired, and leave to cool. If it still feels wet, you can transfer to the oven next time it’s on and let it dry on a low heat. Transfer to an airtight jar and enjoy to stimulate appetite before a meal or to aid digestion afterwards.

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FEELING
PITTA

This isn’t good for you on a regular basis, because you don’t usually need help to feel fiery!

TIP

If you’re hardcore like me and love the ginger burn, you don’t have to strain away the cooking water at step 3. Instead, simmer the ginger in 60ml (¼ cup) water, lid on, until tender. Add the jaggery or maple syrup, then simmer, lid off, until the liquid evaporates. Continue with the recipe.