With its bold flavor and simmering warmth, ginger tea is an alluring drink any time of the day.
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Tea or chai, as we call it in India, is a refreshing concoction made by boiling tea leaves in water and topping it with milk and sugar, and sometimes a medley of spices.
Most folks in India like to start their day with tea (except for coffee lovers, of course). While there isn't a single definitive recipe for tea, I like to think of most tea drinkers as connoisseurs - they love their tea, can't imagine missing their morning tea, and are particular to the point of being prescriptive on how they want their tea.
Some want their tea made only with milk, a few like it black, while most folks prefer their chai to be a mixture of milk and water. And then there are ones who like masala chai - a tea which is infused with spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, to name a few.
Ginger is also a very popular ingredient that is added to tea as a flavor enhancer. Ginger, while providing a myriad of health benefits, also helps soothe a sore throat.
How to make ginger tea
While you start with water, these are the other key ingredients
- Tea leaves - I prefer Taj and if you can't find it in your nearby grocery store, English breakfast tea or Earl Grey or Assam tea can be used as a substitute.
- Whole milk - Tea tastes best with whole milk. If you are vegan, cashew milk would be a good substitute.
- Ginger - Ginger powder doesn't cut it, so use freshly minced ginger.
- Sweetener - The preferred sweetener would be sugar. I know some folks like to use jaggery as well.
Now that we have the ingredients covered, let's walk through the steps.
- Boil the water along with grated ginger. The water will change color after being infused with the juices from the ginger.
- Add tea leaves and sugar to the boiling water, and then let the tea leaves steep in the water for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add hot milk - The reason you add hot milk is that you don't want to boil the tea leaves again, as the concoction can turn bitter. Mix well. Strain and serve immediately.
A lot of folks add all the ingredients together and boil them. You can make it that way as well, but connoisseurs tell me the flavor is not the same.
Variations in tea
- Masala chai - a tea which is infused with spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, to name a few.
- Ginger and Cardamom tea - Freshly ground cardamom combined with crushed ginger is added to boiling water to make this popular tea variation.
- Cardamom tea - Tea made with freshly ground green cardamom.
That's all from me. Now go grab your favorite biscuits or cookies and enjoy your tea.
Here are some interesting articles about tea that I think you'll enjoy reading-
- Difference between Assam and Darjeeling Tea
- Chai - the drink India can't live without
- India and its tea history
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Other recipes you'll love
If you love packing your health benefits into tasty drinks, try out one of these -
- Thandai - Learn how to make a creamy, refreshing glass of Thandai with this delicious homemade recipe.
- The Best Green Smoothie- Here's an invitation to try a green smoothie that actually tastes REALLY good!
- Mango Banana Smoothie- This creamy and delicious Mango banana smoothie takes less than 10 minutes to make!
- Banana Nutella Smoothie- Your kids will love this delicious Banana Nutella Smoothie Recipe! This healthy-ish drink is made from bananas and milk with a hint of Nutella and hot cocoa.
- Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie- Try this creamy and delicious, milkshake-like peanut butter and banana smoothie. With no added sugar, enjoy this nourishing smoothie guilt-free!
📖 Recipe
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Ginger tea
Ingredients
- 1-¼ cup water
- 2- inch piece ginger minced
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 3 teaspoon tea leaves
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Boil the water along with grated ginger. The water will change color after being infused with the juices from the ginger.
- Add tea leaves and sugar to the boiling water and then let the tea leaves steep in the water for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add hot milk - The reason you add already hot milk is that you don't want to boil the tea leaves again. Mix well. Strain and serve immediately.
Disclaimer: Approximate nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and can vary depending on the exact ingredients/brands used. If you have health issues, please work with a registered dietician or nutritionist.
Saroj says
All the best
Anushree Jayaram says
Thanks, Saroj!