Tea With Basil Leaves
Tulsi Chai
Abha Gupta
This recipe is from my sister who lives in Lucknow in India. It has no tea leaves, so it is technically not a 'tea'. the advantage is that it is tannin free. It tastes very good and it is very refreshing. She tells me that if you take it first thing every morning, it helps to reduce weight. You can make a pan full in the morning and sip it through the day.
Ingredients
1-1 1/2 litre water
10 basil leaves (tree basil or Shyama Tulsi, also known as Krishna Tulsi is better)
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
4 green cardamoms roughly crushed
1 cinnamon stick of 5-6 cm.
1 tsp. honey per cup
1 lemon or lime
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a pan and boil briskly for 10-15 minutes, on medium heat.
Strain and discard solids.
Squeeze in lemon/lime juice.
Serve hot or warm, with 1 tsp. honey per cup.
It can be served chilled, poured over ice cubes, in a tall glass.
Note< You can make normal tea this way too. Simply add some tea leaves/tea bags to the strained water at step 2. Do not boil after adding tea leaves. Serve with milk and sugar.
