Spiced Tea / Kadha

This is a wonderful replacement for the tea that we usually make with dairy milk. It’s not only delicious but also refreshing and gentler on the digestive system. This is actually a traditional infusion made without the tea leaves.

Credit: Indian Vegan Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1″ piece of fresh ginger
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 cardamom
• 2-3 lemongrass stalks
• 2 tbsp jaggery (palm sugar) or 2-3 tsps sugar
• ½ tsp tea leaves (optional)
• 400 ml water

Method

1. Wash and crush the ginger and add it and the jaggery to the water in a steel pot and bring this to a boil. (There is no need to peel the ginger.)
2. Turn down the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, pound the cardamom and cloves into a rough powder. (There’s no need to peel the cardamom.)
4. Add these spices with lemongrass to the simmering water and let it simmer for a couple of seconds more.
5. Add the tea leaves and immediately turn off the heat.
6. Cover and let the tea brew for two or three minutes.
7. Strain and serve while still hot.
8. This can even be chilled in the refrigerator as an evening drink in the warm summer months.