These tea recipes lack milk and pack flavour!
By Tania Arora, Staff Writer
They say a great cup of tea can cure everything. So, I lit my lamp and went searching for my favourite tea. The hot brew poured into my cup and the swirling of fresh and tender leaves has become the best part of my day. I have always been a chai lover, and by chai, I mean the famous chai tea. Let us just say that my inability to keep my fridge stocked with fresh milk got me into the habit of drinking tea without milk—and instead with different ingredients. Here are great cups of tea I have discovered.
1. Mint and lemon tea
This is my favourite. My day is just incomplete until I inhale these minty dews. All you need to do is pour water into the pot you wish to make your tea in; pour a little more water than one tea mug. When the water starts warming up, add 5 to 6 clean and fresh mint leaves. You may add one teaspoon of sugar (or however much depending on how sweet you want it).
Once you see the colour of the water changing from clear to a light green tone, turn the burner off and put the pot aside. Once the pot is away from the stove, add a teabag to it. Tip: once the water extracts the flavours and colour of the teabag, take it out. It usually takes 20 to 30 seconds. If you leave the teabag in for too long, it adds a bitter taste to the tea which no one wants.
While the pot lies on the other side, take your cup and squeeze half a lime or lemon (or more). Strain your tea into your cup. If you are not a sugar person, then honey works best. Personally, I use honey. But if you wish to add honey, don’t squish it into the pot—add it into the cup towards the end instead.
Well, that is the end. Mix everything well and enjoy your minty-citrusy cup of tea.
2. Mint, ginger and lemon tea
If you are a ginger lover, or even if you are not, try ginger mint and lemon tea. For centuries, ginger has been used for its medicinal properties. And it is not just a cure, one drop adds a great flavour to any food item we are preparing. The recipe for this one is nearly the same as the previously mentioned mint and lemon tea. After adding mint to the boiling pot, add crushed ginger to it. Post that, the procedure remains the same.
3. Exotic green tea
When I want to keep healthy but still crave some flavour in my green, I make my exotic green tea. For all the green tea lovers out there, here is a way to add some spice to your tea. Place a pot on the stove with water. Once the water starts to boil, add green tea leaves or one teabag to it. Then add crushed almonds, a pinch of cinnamon, a very small amount of saffron, a few pieces of cardamom, and dried rose petals to it.
It is fine if you don’t have one or two of the ingredients, you may add what you would like to your tea. Let the water absorb all the flavours. Strain your tea into the cup. Add sugar or honey according to your taste—although one teaspoon is ideal. But after you mix and before you sip, take the aroma of the flavours in.
