18 Jan Tulsi Chai

“Chai” means tea in Sanskrit and in India it generally means a sweet blend of black tea, milk and spices. The ratio and selection of spices varies according to family recipes and regional preferences. This version is mildly sweetened with raw honey and made with tulsi tea leaves (naturally caffeine-free) making it a perfect drink for a cold winter morning or chilly autumn afternoon.

Serves 1

½ cup organic milk
½ cup water
1 cinnamon stick, lightly crushed
4 whole cloves
8 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
1 tablespoon Tulsi loose leaf tea (or tea bag)
½ teaspoon honey

In a small pan, add the milk, water, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf, star anise and tulsi. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat and simmer for 7 minutes; strain using a fine mesh sieve. Add honey after the tea has cooled to room temperature.

Variations: For a caffeinated version substitute Darjeeling tea for the tulsi tea. You can try adding 1-inch peeled ginger for a warmer energetic which will be ideal for kapha or during the season of spring.

For more recipes like this, sign up for my quarterly newsletter!

All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.