Tea for all Seasons

My beverage of choice Coffee. I use Tea for Medicinal purposes. But my husband and his family are tea drinkers. I have had to learn to make tea the way my in-laws make. I am not a doctor or a Healer, some of these are my family's Household remedies. They have worked for me and my family. Here are a few recipes of Tea that I make at home.

Typical Chai at my In-laws Place
water:milk :: 1/4 : 1 cup
sugar 2 tsps
Let the mixture boil. Then add 1-2 tea bags or 1-2 teaspoons of Tea powder. Let it boil for another 5-8 minutes and then strain.

Ginger Tea
Water: milk ::1/2:1
Sugar 2 tsps
When the mixture boils. grate or sliver a 1/2 inch piece of ginger
And 1-2 tsps of tea powder. Let it boil for 5 mins. and strain.

Kahwa Tea(Kashmiri style green tea)
Boil a cup of water, add in 1/2 tsp of green tea, crush cardamom pods, 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, a pinch of saffron and Flaked Cashew or Almonds and sugar to taste. Usually the ingredients are placed inside a cup and the Hot water is poured on it. It is steeped for 5 minutes before it is drunk. I have had this tea in one of the Restaurants in Bangalore called Wazwan...it has a nice flavor to it.

Masala Tea
The same propotion as the typical chai. add in a pinch each of fennel powder, cinnamon powder, 2 cloves, 2 peppercorns and let it boil before straining. you could put cardamom instead of cinnamon if you dont like the flavor. I keep the cinnamon and the cardamom separate so that their flavors are apparent. You could use both together. This tea feels very good to drink during the winters chilly weather.

Black Tea(Kala Chai)
This is used to stop diarrhea due to greasy food or spicy food.
Bring to boil a cup of water. put in about 1/2 tsp. of tea power or a bag of tea and steep until the water has a deep brown/black color to it. Drink 1/2 a cup every 2 hour. Diarrhea usually stops within 4 doses of tea.

Tea for an itchy throat(Tulsi Chai)
5-6 leaves of Mint(Pudina), 9-10 leaves of Tulsi(Indian Basil), 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seeds(kala jeera), 2-3 peppercorns, 1/4 tsp of teapowder. Bring the water to boil with these ingredients. Add a teaspoon of honey after straining before drinking.

Tea for Coughs
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 4 pepper corns, 1/4 tsp caraway seeds, 1/4 cumin seeds, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tsps of honey. Boil the ingredients in milk, strain, add honey before drinking.

Tea for runny noses(Nimbu Chai)
Boil 1 cup of water add1/4 tsp of tea powder. Boil for 3 mins. strain. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon. 2 tsps of honey and drink when you have cold with a runny nose.

Tea For bloating after a heavy meal
1 teaspoon of ajwain(celery seeds)
1/2 inch ginger grated
2-3 leaves of Mint
boil these in a cup of water for about 5 mins, strain and drink.

For Nausea due to indigestion
1" piece of ginger Mushed
a pinch of salt
1/2 a cup of water
Boil the water with these, strain, let it cool and then drink.

Have fun trying them out. Enjoy these when you need them.