Most Indians are used to following the custom of starting their day with a cup of chai (tea) within the morning. Lately, our morning teas are often spiked with many herbs with a purpose to make it more healthy. Following this development, right here’s an easy-peasy Natural Tea recipe that I often make at house. This Natural Tea or Natural Chai can positively develop into your cup of goodness to start a day with.
Why Natural Tea
Since we dwell in occasions the place we eat, drink and breathe toxins into our our bodies at a continuing tempo, it is extremely vital that we get right into a behavior of consuming Natural Tea. Not simply this, we must also embrace herbs in our day-to-day meals as these assist in detoxifying our system.
The easiest way to supply these herbs is to develop your individual herb backyard at house. As most of those greens require low upkeep and develop simply even in balconies or terraces. This fashion you’ll all the time have an entry to contemporary, natural produce that isn’t chemically handled.
Some herbs that I’ve planted in my home are holy basil (tulsi), mint, basil, coriander, lemongrass, curry leaves, parsley and celery. The enjoyment of plucking your individual herbs proper out of your backyard and utilizing it to make a healthful cup of Natural Tea is basically unmatched.
Herbs used to make Natural Tea
In most Indian homes, following are the mix of herbs that could be used within the Natural Tea recipe:
- Ginger + cardamom
- Ginger + cardamom + cloves
- Mint + holy basil (tulsi)
- Ginger + mint
- Solely lemongrass
- Solely ginger
Nevertheless, my do-it-yourself model of Natural Chai consists of:
- Ginger
- Inexperienced cardamom
- Lemongrass
- Recent mint leaves
- Recent holy basil leaves (tulsi)
- Cinnamon powder (sometimes)
Along with the above, typically I additionally add floor cinnamon, fennel, nutmeg and cloves to my Natural Tea. As soon as in a blue moon, I could add vanilla bean powder too.
It’s a good observe to maintain on experimenting and rotating the substances as soon as some time. This fashion there’s all the time going to be selection and you’ll not be bored of sipping on the identical flavors in your Natural Chai each time.
Natural Tea Variations
There are lots of variations of the Natural Tea recipe. Each particular person might use completely different herbs as per their liking and style. However the most typical herbs that are used worldwide are talked about within the above part.
Aside from these, one can positively go for lemongrass, galangal, pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, fennel seeds, ashwagandha leaf (an Ayurvedic herb), rose petals, nutmeg and honey as their Natural Tea concoction.
One crucial level is to crush or powder the herbs-spices within the mortar and pestle in any other case you gained’t get their taste within the tea.
The selection of herbs to be added in your Natural Tea ought to rely upon their medicinal worth, availability in addition to the climatic situation of your metropolis. Whereas ginger and cloves are heaty; mint, tulsi and rose petals are cooling.
Moroever select to make your natural tea sans any tea leaves (or tea powder) and milk. Merely boil the herbs and teas in water to make a natural tisane. Pressure in cups and serve. Optionally you’ll be able to add any sweetener of your alternative.
Extra on Natural Chai
I like the Galangal Tea as nicely, however since I hardly get galangal in my metropolis, I keep away from utilizing it within the Natural Tea. Fennel seeds are a standard within the Natural Tea that I make at house. Although I could by no means have used Ashwagandha leaves in my tea, I’d suggest you to make use of it as it’s good for coping with stress, strengthening the nervous system and enhancing reminiscence.
What most house cooks do, is grind the herbs in a dry/espresso grinder and retailer the combination in an air tight jar for each day use. A teaspoon of this combination can be utilized to organize your on a regular basis cup of Natural Tea with ease.
You may have sizzling tea in case you are in a chilly local weather or throughout winters. On a sizzling day or throughout summers, you can also make your Natural Tea with out milk and refrigerate it earlier than serving. You may also add ice cubes to your tea. This tea pairs rather well with cookies, biscuits, truffles and wafers too.
If you’re fascinated by making your individual tea mix, then this Masala Chai Powder might be of nice assist to you. Apart from the Natural Tea, I additionally love ingesting this Masala Chai and Mumbai model Cutting Chai.
Knowledgeable Ideas
- Milk: The amount of milk added will differ from individual to individual. So, it may be added as per private choice. You may decide to skip the milk fully and make a natural tisane.
- Spices: You might modify the amount of spices as required. I’d recommend decreasing the amount of spices in summers as they enhance physique warmth and sweating. Growing the amount of spice might assist to maintain the physique heat throughout winters or when you will have chilly.
- Making tea: Whereas the traditional manner of creating tea is to steep the tea leaves in sizzling water, the Indian manner is boiling tea powder for some minutes. I often add milk later. Some households boil tea leaves, milk and water collectively.
- You may grind your herbs and spices in a grinder and retailer the combination in an air-tight container for on a regular basis use. Use a teaspoon of this mix to brew your individual tea everytime you need.
FAQs
The most typical herbs which can be used to make Natural Tea are tulsi (holy basil), mint leaves together with ginger, lemongrass and spices that may be added as per your alternative.
Sure, you need to use honey as an alternative of sugar to sweeten this tea. However be sure that the tea is lukewarm if you combine within the honey. In keeping with Ayurveda honey turns into poisonous when heated.
The style of ginger and galangal are completely different from one another. Therefore, I’d say that you need to use galangal in case you don’t have ginger however it’s not essentially a alternative for ginger. I all the time desire my Natural Tea with ginger as an alternative of galangal.
The general style of Natural Chai is set by the type and amount of herbs and spices added. It has a aromatic, spiced and sharp taste profile.
Sure, you’ll be able to drink Natural Tea with out milk as it should simply one other style.
Both possibility works. Often, I crush the pods, then add the crushed seeds in addition to the inexperienced husks. The cardamom husks even have numerous flavors.
Extra Tea Recipes To Attempt!
Drinks
Drinks
Drinks
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Natural Tea | Natural Chai
Indian Natural Tea is produced from herbs, ginger, cardamom and lemongrass. This Natural Chai can positively develop into your cup of goodness to start a day with.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook dinner Time 15 minutes
Complete Time 20 minutes
Forestall your display screen from going darkish whereas making the recipe
In a kettle pan or saucepan, add the water. Peel the ginger after which crush the ginger and cardamom within the mortar-pestle. That is vital in any other case you will not get the flavour of ginger and cardamom within the tea.
Add the crushed ginger and cardamoms to the water.
Add the lemongrass within the water. I often reduce it into many items. So chop them and add to the water.
Additionally, add the mint leaves and holy basil leaves to the tea.
Boil this water and herb combination for 7 to eight minutes or until the colour of the water modifications to a light yellowish hue. This transformation of colour of the water might be because of the ginger releasing its juices and flavors within the water.
Add sugar or your most well-liked sweetener and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes extra. You may select to omit the sugar in case you desire.
Now, add the tea powder or tea baggage and simmer for two to three minutes or until the water will get a deep hue of purple. Tea powder or tea baggage could be omitted to make a natural tisane.
Add milk. Simmer the tea for two to three minutes in case you are utilizing common milk or soy milk. Skip the milk in case you desire.
Strain the Herbal Tea through a strainer right into the cups.
Serve the Herbal Chai hot as is or pair with snacks.
- Opt to skip tea leaves or tea powder and milk to make a herbal tisane.
- If using tea leaves, steep 3 to 4 teaspoons of the tea leaves for 2 to 3 minutes in the hot water instead of simmering. For steeping, add the tea leaves and switch off heat. Stir and cover the pan with lid. Steep the leaves for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain and serve as is or add preferred milk (hot) and sweetener of choice.
- Choose to add your preferred sweetener or skip it altogether.
Nutrition Facts
Herbal Tea | Herbal Chai
Amount Per Serving
Calories 57 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 4mg1%
Sodium 24mg1%
Potassium 81mg2%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 97IU2%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Vitamin D 1µg7%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 1µg1%
Calcium 53mg5%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 2µg1%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 11mg3%
Phosphorus 35mg4%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Herbal Tea post from the archives first published in August 2013 has been republished and updated on 3 May 2022.
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