tea recipe Archives

September 26, 2021 By Sunita Arora 3 Comments

The Magic of Indian Masala Chai

The word Chai actually means tea in English and Russian. In India, it is also known as Masala Chai. More appropriately, it means spice blend. Tea has become a daily part of Indian life. It is now a key element of our culture which has spread throughout the world. Masala Chai is an everyday drink in most parts of India. It is common for Indians to delight themselves with 2 cups of it per day.

In almost every street corner and even office spaces, you will find a Chai Wallah (tea vendors) who prepares this traditional beverage. They prepare this rich Masala Chai over an open fire in small stands and stalls and serve it in clay tea cups called Kullarhs.

Well, you can prepare it yourself! This may be the right tea for you, to give you the strength and energy during the day and to take you on an amazing ride through the world of Indian tea. Let’s prepare it together! Have a look at our Masala Chai benefits, recipe and get your ingredients ready.

Some amazing Benefits of the Indian Masala Chai

Improves Digestion: The spices used in Masala Chai help in regulating the digestive system. It also helps in keeping your gut healthy. A spice like Ginger aids digestion by improving circulation and delivering oxygen to organs so they can perform optimally.
Supports the Immune System: It is known to strengthen the immune system and keeps common infection at bay. It helps provide relief when infected with common cold and cough.
Improves Heart Health: Cinnamon, one of the main ingredients in Masala Chai, helps lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure. Drinking Masala Chai can prevent cardiovascular disease when consumed regularly over long periods of time.
Relieves Aches and Pains: The spices found in Masala Chai can alleviate common aches and pains. These health benefits derive from the anti-inflammatory properties of many of the ingredients in it, specifically ginger and clove.
Reduces Nausea: Spices like Ginger and Cardamom are well known for their ability to reduce nausea and seasickness. Masala Chai soothes an upset stomach and alleviates stomach pain associated with nausea.
Boosts Energy: It is a wonderful experience having a hot cup of ‘Masala Chai’ after a hard day’s work. Caffeine is a natural stimulant in Masala Chai which boosts energy and gives you the kick which you need to start your day.
Boosts Metabolism: Tea is known as a heat generating food in Ayurveda. It helps speed up metabolism. Ingredients like ginger, clove, black pepper and cardamom helpincreaset loss and increases the metabolism of the body in a short period.
Contributes to Reduce Sugar Levels: Ingredients used in Masala Chai such as clove, cinnamon, and cardamom helps in preventing diabetes by increasing the insulin sensitivity of the body and lowering one’s blood sugar levels.
Relieves PMS: It can be your best friend to fight the symptoms of PMS the natural way. Ingredients like ginger, clove, and cardamom work as natural painkillers when you are experiencing period pains. It calms your nerves, keeps you in a good mood and relaxes your muscles.

Authentic Masala Chai Recipe (Serves 2 cups)

Ingredients

Water: 1 cup
Milk: 1 cup (organic whole milk, almond milk, oat milk)
Black tea/ loose leaf: 1 ½ teaspoon
Jaggery Powder: 2-3 teaspoons (more or less) or maple syrup, honey, brown sugar
Clove: 2-3
Cardamom: 2
Cinnamon: ½ stick
Peppercorns: 3-4 (optional)
Ginger: 2 slices or crushed
Star Anise: 1 (optional)

How to prepare

Lightly crush cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger, star anise, and peppercorn and add in boiling water
Add black tea/leaf and boil it for 2-3 minutes
Add sugar and milk
Bring it to simmer twice or more
Turn off the heat and strain it into your favorite mug
Your Masala Chai is ready!

A common myth is that green tea has more health benefit than black tea. This is simply not true. It is because all tea (Black, Green, and White) comes from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, they offer the same benefits. The spices which we have used in our Masala Chai are well known in Ayurveda for many health benefits.

Ginger is anti-inflammatory and improves digestion, prevents and manages stomach ulcers, protects against symptoms of cold and flu, and stimulates blood circulation. It also reduces blood cholesterol by improving liver function
Cinnamon has Anti-fungal, Anti-bacterial properties. It helps in lowering LDL cholesterol and has a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes
Cardamom is considered as a kidney cleanser. It is known to enhance appetite, improve digestion and provide relief from acidity in the stomach. It is also considered beneficial to the urinary tract system
Cloves are well-known for its anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and antiseptic properties. They’re also known to heal ailments of the digestive system and promote good digestion as well as metabolism
Black Pepper is a powerful anti-oxidant. It improves digestion and promotes intestinal health. It is an effective remedy for respiratory conditions including colds, coughs, and flu
Star Anise aids digestion, alleviates cramps and reduces nausea. It also helps in preventing constipation, supports good sleep, promotes bone and skin health.

So, add the ingredients mentioned above in your regular tea to make it a complete Indian Masala chai. Do share your experience in the comments below!

For more on tea, check out Healthy Reads. You can get more valuable insights on the food you consume directly from your GOQii Coach. Subscribe for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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October 1, 2020 By Urvi Gohil 1 Comment

Healthy Eating: The Ultimate Healthy Chivda

It is common for tea/coffee lovers to indulge in some snacks along with their favorite beverage but most of those snacks are often not healthy. So, here is an amazing alternative with is namkeen and crisp! Your very own Healthy Chivda! This bowl can be a part of your regular evening snacks as it provides satiety and nutrition all in one!

What You Will Need

Rolled oats – 1 cup
Poha – ½ cup
Puffed rice – 1 cup
Makhana – 1 cup
Peanuts – ½ cup
Thin cut coconut – ¼ cup
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 8-10
Crush garlic cloves – 4-5
Dried red chilli – 1
Split green chilli – 2
Turmeric – 1 tbsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Salt

How To Prepare

Dry roast the rolled oats for 5-7 mins until it is crisp & a little golden. In the same pan, roast the poha until crisp.
In another pan, heat the ghee, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and broken red chilli. Allow it to crackle, then fry the peanuts.
Once the peanuts turn golden, add the crushed garlic, split green chilli, curry leaves and coconut. Fry this until the curry leaves turn crisp & the garlic is roasted.
Time to add the spices, add salt, turmeric & red chilli powder. Give this a quick mix.
Now add the roasted oats, roasted poha along with puffed rice and makhana. Mix this well and allow to roast for a few minutes.
Store it in an airtight container once it cools down.

Note: You can also make chivda bhel by adding chopped onion, tomato, coriander, along with some salt & lemon to the chivda. Enjoy it immediately before it turns soggy. If you’re allergic to peanuts, avoid them.

Highlights Of The Healthy Chivda Recipe

This Healthy Chivda helps in avoiding unhealthy refined flour biscuit, rusk, and cookies to eat along with tea or coffee.
It gives you a punch of protein, fiber and micro minerals all in one.
Suits the taste of everyone – be it kids, adults or grandparents.

We hope you try out this Healthy Chivda recipe! Do leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments below. For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE cooking sessions on GOQii Play!

Eat healthy and #BeTheForce

November 22, 2019 By Sunita Arora 1 Comment

5 Healthy Hot Winter Drinks to Warm You Up!

If you’ve begun feeling the slight chills in the morning, you know that winter is coming – intended GoT reference. While an epic fantasy drama can turn the heat up in an instant, your body needs a little more warmth or spice, depending on what your taste is like, to help you push through those cold mornings. In this article, I’m going to share some of my favorite hot winter drinks that I include in my diet on a regular basis.

These drinks have numerous health benefits. They will help you boost your immunity, increase your brainpower and remove toxins from your body – these are still just a few benefits from the reservoir of goodness they can offer!

You can’t deny that winter beckons warm, hot, spicy and often something sweet as well. Now, if you want to make your drink healthy, then you must try one or all of these hot winter drinks!

1. Hot Ginger Tea

This brew is quite effective during winter. It promotes good digestion, boosts your immunity, aids weight loss and helps provide relief in Arthritis. This drink is your ally while battling cold and cough as well.

Ingredients: 1 cup of water, 2 tsp of freshly grated ginger and 1 tsp of raw honey (optional)

How to Prepare: Boil ginger in water for 5-10 minutes, strain it, add raw honey if you want to and sip it hot. Simple, isn’t it!

2. Spiced Green Tea

Do you love Green Tea? Let’s spice it up! This aromatic tea is a wonderful blend of taste and good health! It is rich in antioxidants, aids weight loss, boosts metabolism and the best part is that you can consume this any time during winter!

Ingredients: 1 cup of water, a pinch of cinnamon, ½ tsp crushed ginger, 2 tsp of green tea leaf, ½ lemon and 1 tsp of raw honey (optional).

How to Prepare: Add green tea leaf, crushed ginger and cinnamon in hot water. Cover and steep for 5-6 minutes. Pour it in your favorite mug, then add lemon and honey and start sipping immediately!

3. Warm Turmeric Milk

This popular household drink is an excellent remedy for treating inflammation and joint pains. It helps in resolving sleep-related issues as well.

Ingredients: 1 cup of organic milk, ½ tsp of ground turmeric, a pinch of cinnamon powder, 1 tsp of raw honey (optional).

How to Prepare: Mix all the ingredients in a blender for 1 minute. Then, boil it on low flame for a few minutes till it is hot enough. Add raw honey if you want to and serve! The perfect hot winter drink! For sleep disorders, drink this milk 30 minutes before bedtime daily.

4. Spiced Almond Milk

This is a treat for vegans! Purely because it is naturally dairy-free! It can also be consumed by people with dairy allergy or those who are lactose intolerant. Be sure to try this one though, it has an exotic flavor and is quite easy to prepare.

Ingredients: 1 cup of Almond milk, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp of ginger powder, a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.

How to prepare: Take a saucepan and combine all the ingredients. Slowly bring it to a simmer for a few minutes and serve hot. If you want to make your own almond milk, Click Here.

5. Masala Chai

Everybody’s favourite! If you’re a tea person, this has to be the beverage you wake up to, or the thing that keeps you going late afternoon! If you want to know about the benefits masala chai offers, read my article on The Magic of Indian Masala Chai. To keep it short, it regulates the digestive system, prevents people from gaining weight, stimulates the appetite and boosts the immune system among other benefits!

Ingredients: ½ cup of Water, ½ cup of milk, 1 tsp of loose tea leaf, 2-3 cloves, 1 cardamom, ½ inch cinnamon stick, 1 small slice of ginger, 1 star anise, 2-3 peppercorn, 1 tsp of jaggery powder or brown sugar (optional).

How to Prepare: Crush cinnamon, clove, ginger, star anise, and peppercorn. Add them in boiling water. Then, add the tea leaf and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add the jiggery and milk. Simmer it 2-3 times and then turn the gas off. Pour it in your favorite mug and enjoy the weather!

Whenever you feel like drinking something hot or spicy, these hot winter drinks are your best picks! We hope you enjoy these recipes in the days to come. Don’t forget to check out Healthy Reads within the GOQii App for more healthy recipes!

Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce