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In rainy autumn weather and cold winter mornings, I really want to cheer up. Many people prefer to brew coffee, but not everyone knows that there is a unique Indian masala tea. The drink has an effect on the body similar to the effect of caffeine, but not so drastic, while the activity of the digestive system is activated, and the feeling of cheerfulness will accompany you much longer than from drinking a cup of coffee.

Let's figure it out together - what masala tea is, what it contains, what beneficial properties it contains, and whether the drink can cause harm.

India is famous for its special knowledge, which has been accumulated and increased over many centuries, and helps to maintain health using natural remedies. Masala is an original spicy mixture for making tea. The composition may vary depending on what effect you expect to get.

If you want to cheer up and get a boost of energy for the whole day, add ground pepper, star anise and ginger to the Indian drink.
To achieve the opposite effect - to calm down, relieve fatigue - use mint and saffron for preparation.
Masala tea, which contains cinnamon and cardamom, is especially beneficial for the stomach.
And nutmeg will help dull the feeling of hunger.

Even in India there is no classical recipe for the drink, because each province has its own recipe and secret for making this amazing tea.

Note: the main rule for preparing an Indian drink is that it must contain large-leaf black tea, milk, a spicy composition and a sweetener.

Composition - revealing the secrets

Tea. As a rule, it is customary to use black loose leaf tea, this is explained by the fact that the taste of other varieties is suppressed by a rich set of spices and sweetener. If you want to show off your culinary talents, try using Chinese red tea.
Milk. According to the recipe, it is better to use whole milk. The amount of product is determined by individual taste preferences. The most classic option is to add a quarter cup of milk to half a cup of hot water. You can also replace it with condensed one.
Sweetener. In the homeland of the drink, the most common sweetness is palm or cane sugar. Considering that these products remain exotic for us, they can easily be replaced with regular white sugar. And if you use honey, the beneficial properties of tea will manifest themselves in full force. Sugar has the ability to emphasize and reveal the amazing aroma of spices, which is why the masala drink is often drunk very sweet.
Spices. The following spices are most often added to Indian tea:

cinnamon;
cloves;
ground pepper - black and white;
cardamom;
ginger;
nutmeg;
fennel seeds.

Note: there are also exclusive recipes with the addition of rose petals, licorice root, saffron, and almonds. If you wish, you can prepare a drink based on one spice or prepare your own individual bouquet of spices.

Subtleties of brewing

The benefits of the drink largely depend on adherence to the preparation technology. So, regardless of which one you choose, to enjoy the surprisingly spicy, invigorating taste of the drink, you need to:

To boil water.
Without removing the container from the heat, add a teaspoon of tea and milk to taste.
As for adding spices: ginger, nutmeg, ground black pepper - add while the water is boiling; cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and other spices - add after three minutes.
After a few minutes, you can add sugar or honey.
Now remove the tea from the heat. Make sure that the heat is low, otherwise the milk may curdle due to the abundance of spices.
Now you need to mix all the ingredients; to do this, you need to carefully pour the tea from one container to another several times.
Before pouring the finished drink into cups, the dishes need to be doused with boiling water, this will allow the amazing aroma of tea to be fully revealed.

Beneficial properties of Indian masala

The benefits of the drink are due to its rich chemical composition and high content of vitamins, acids and tannins. As a result, tea has a complex positive effect, in particular:

activates the gastrointestinal tract;
strengthens the immune system;
improves breathing;
normalizes blood pressure and blood circulation;
returns healthy complexion to the skin.

Note: tea with spices normalizes metabolic processes in the body, which is why it is often included in dietary nutrition systems. However, experts do not advise getting carried away with the drink in the evening, as the invigorating effect can lead to insomnia.

The beneficial properties of milk contribute to the harmonious functioning of the stomach and nervous system. The beneficial effects of spices on the body depend on the specific bouquet of spices in the drink.

cinnamon is indispensable when it is necessary to reduce body temperature;
cardamom promotes active brain function and increases appetite;
fennel normalizes intestinal function;
cloves make breathing easier.

Ayurveda reveals the wonderful properties of masala - according to traditional Indian medicine, the benefit of the drink lies in its vital energy, which a person is filled with when drinking tea. In India, masala is called the living element of fire; it is believed that it saturates the body with the necessary vigor and activity. The drink is recommended for people who feel constant drowsiness and loss of strength.

Possible harm

Masala tea has a complex positive effect on the body and has no contraindications except for individual intolerance to its components.

Officially, not a single case of negative effects of tea on the body has been identified. The main advantage of the drink is that you choose the composition yourself, excluding components that raise doubts.

photo: depositphotos.com/phloenphoto, rozmarina, nanka-photo

Masala teais an Indian tea with spices, famous not only for its taste, but also for its beneficial properties. It warms, tones, improves immunity and improves mood. Hindus add black tea and a mixture of spices to hot milk so that all components open up as much as possible and give off their aroma. The word itself"masala" means "spice mixture"– cinnamon, ginger, allspice... What Indian dish is complete without them? In order to try this spicy drink, you don’t need to go to India at all: you can easily prepare it at home, surprising your loved ones with an unusual recipe. WhereinIndian dinnerYou don’t have to serve it at all: Masala tea is very nutritious and can easily replace an evening meal.

RECIPE FOR INDIAN MASALA TEA WITH MILK

NECESSARY:

1 glass of milk
5 boxes of green cardamom
2 boxes of black cardamom
1/4 tsp. carnations
2 allspice peas
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp. l. fresh grated ginger root
Nutmeg - on the tip of a knife
Sugar or honey to taste
Black tea loose leaf

HOW TO COOK:

Break the cardamom pods and remove the seeds.

Break up the clove heads, allspice and cinnamon stick.

Wash the fresh ginger root, peel and grate or finely chop.

Heat the milk almost to a boil. Add spices to hot milk: green and black cardamom, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and grated ginger.

Boil milk with spices over low heat for 1-2 minutes.

Brew black leaf tea, about 1/3 of the amount of milk.

Pour hot milk with spices into the tea through a fine sieve. If desired, you can add sugar or honey.

BY THE WAY: If you add honey, then you need to let the tea cool a little before in order to preserve the beneficial properties of honey.

Do you want to warm up and cheer up in the early morning when it’s raining or sleeting outside? Pay attention not to traditional drinks domestic production, but for a full sip of exotic masala tea, which came to us from distant India. The drink, amazing in its tonic effect, can invigorate a person in just 2-3 sips, and also fill the body with energy and improve the functioning of the digestive system.

Masala tea is extremely popular not only in its homeland in India, but also in Nepal, Pakistan, and Central Asia. It should be noted that a strictly defined recipe for this aromatic drink simply does not exist in nature, since every self-respecting family certainly has a unique recipe for brewing tea.

Story

From this article you will learn:

Every Indian family has several original ways of brewing this ancient drink. However, the original recipe for its preparation is shrouded in the dust of centuries of history, and now it is no longer possible to say what was the basis of the very first masala tea. This is a very versatile drink. Traditionally, its base is represented by 4 main ingredients: natural or artificial sweetener and “warm” spices.

Experts strongly recommend preparing masala exclusively from natural black tea, which will preserve the natural taste of the drink and clearly highlight its main features. If you take it, then spices in tandem with a sweetener can simply drown out the taste.

You can use absolutely any sweeteners. In India and Asian countries, preference is given to brown and white sugar; in some cases, they can be successfully replaced with natural or palm sugar. IN rural areas In India, it is the latter version of the sweetener that is traditionally added. If we talk about our country, masala tea with condensed milk has proven itself to be excellent.

The vast majority of drink recipes involve the use of several spices: black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, and cardamom. The main dominant of the tea is cardamom, which is delicately and subtly complemented by cloves. Want to infuse your cup with some savory notes? – Add a few other spices – nutmeg, almonds, rose petals and anise.

Beneficial features

Masala chai is a better alternative to traditional coffee and should be consumed with utmost caution. Therefore, it is much better to greet each new day with an aromatic and ancient Indian drink. In its homeland, it symbolizes the element of uncontrollable fire, capable of saturating the human body with vitality and a charge of energy.

Positive properties of masala:

reliable protection of the body from colds;
comprehensive improvement of the immune system;
eliminating fatigue, constant lack of energy, drowsiness;
blood vessels become more elastic;
normalizes blood pressure;
stabilizes the intensity of blood circulation.

Don't forget about spices. They have a beneficial effect on the body. Several additional ingredients can increase a person’s mental abilities, lower high body temperature, and eliminate breathing problems.

The process of preparing the drink is quite simple in nature: water is brought to a boil, then 30-40 mg of black tea is added to it. To taste – milk, small pieces of peeled ginger, black pepper, nutmeg. Leave for 3 minutes, then add cardamom, cinnamon, fenugreek, and fennel.

The composition is poured several times from one vessel to another. Before serving tea, it should first be scalded with boiling water, and only then a cup of masala tea should be filled.
The ingredients of tea, milk, and spices are chosen exclusively independently, guided by one’s own preferences. Strong tinctures traditionally quench the growing feeling of thirst, as well as hunger. This drink is a great solution to invigorate the body.

Contraindications

If we talk about masala, then there are simply no contraindications to the drink. Everything is strictly individual, depending on the individual intolerance to any ingredients or components of the drink.

Share your favorite tea recipe with the readers of our site!

Not everyone knows that this name - masala tea - does not carry any extraordinary sacred meaning. In fact, we have a simple translation from Hindi - “tea with spices.”

This is interesting! As one masala tea taster put it: this drink is made from English milk tea mixed with Russian sbiten.

The previous half-joking statement contains a lot of truth. After all, despite the fact that each family has its own recipe for masala tea, the basis of each one consists of four parts:

Actually tea, and black.
Milk, preferably whole cow's milk.
Sweetener.
Spices.

Together they give the exquisite taste of Indian masala tea.

Interesting! Residents of India and neighboring countries knew how to prepare masala tea with milk long before Europeans knew the taste of tea in general. This suggests that the drink has been revered since ancient times. In addition to India itself, masala is valued in Nepal and Pakistan, Tibet, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Beverage components

Before describing recipes for making masala tea, let’s look at what components it is prepared from, what criteria the ingredients must meet, and what you can use to replace overseas spices if you couldn’t find them in the nearest supermarket.

Tea

The main component of masala tea is regular black tea. For preparation, the Assam variety in granules is considered the best. But you can also use other varieties of large-leaf or granulated teas.

By the way! Many lovers of the spicy drink believe that the tea’s own taste in this composition is not important; anyway, it will be overwhelmed by the spicy plants. The most important thing is the strength of the leaf, and cheap varieties can provide this.

The overall strength of the drink will depend on the amount of black tea it contains and how it is brewed. Many housewives do not brew tea specifically for the masala drink, but use ready-made regular tea leaves.

Milk

Cow's milk is an essential ingredient in masala tea. It is advisable to use whole milk from a domestic or farm cow to prepare the drink; in the city it is sold as flask milk. Powdered milk from supermarkets will not allow the spices to develop, as the natural product does.

If you take pasteurized milk, it has its own special taste, which is felt even when mixed with spices.

Sweeteners

It would seem that it would be easier to add simple granulated sugar during the process of brewing masala tea. However, you can use brown sugar and sweeteners.

But the best sweetener in the drink is, of course, honey. It will not only give the drink sweetness, but also enrich it with its own taste and unique aroma. In addition, the use of honey will enrich masala tea with valuable substances that will make it healing.

Attention! Some housewives prepare masala tea with condensed milk, solving problems with whole milk and high-quality sugar.

Spices

A wide variety of spices are used for masala tea, but only a few of them are considered basic. These are necessarily spices such as:

ginger;
cardamom;
black pepper;
carnation.

Not so mandatory ingredients are components such as:

nutmeg;
star anise;
rose petals;
liquorice root;
saffron;
fennel seeds;
coriander;
red, white and green peppers;
cumin;
ajwan;
almond.

For reference! Spices can be used either fresh or in the form of dry powders. This will further diversify the palette of flavors of masala tea!

Russia also has its own aromatic herbs, with which we like to enrich our traditional drinks. If desired, they can also be added to masala; they will give Indian tea our own unique flavor. The following herbs can be considered in this capacity:

basil;
sage;
thyme, also known as Bogorodskaya herb or thyme;
oregano, oregano;
mint;
lemon balm.

Even such tart-tasting herbs as St. John's wort and meadowsweet can add an unexpectedly pleasant note of flavor to this drink.

Benefits and harms

Now it is fashionable to talk about whether this or that product brings harm or benefit to our body. In this regard, the Indian drink is definitely useful.

If we consider the benefits and harms of masala tea in the context of its constituent components, then we do not consider any contraindications for use, all of them are valuable ingredients. We don’t argue that there is an individual intolerance of the human body to certain spices. But there is no obligation to include such a component in the recipe. You can’t - don’t add, and no problems!

In the end, an ingredient that is “harmful” for a particular person can always be replaced with something similar in taste.

The following beneficial properties of this drink are noted:

Tea invigorates and relieves drowsiness. A mixture of spicy ingredients activates the body's metabolism. A small cup of drink in the morning will help you recharge your energy for the whole day, thus making a worthy alternative coffee.
Improves digestive processes. The spices included in the masala burn toxins in the stomach and normalize its functioning, so the drink is good to drink after a hangover. Tea is also used as a means of losing weight.
Normalizes blood circulation and cleanses the blood. At the same time, breathing is normalized, the overall tone of the body increases and even the complexion improves.
Increases the elasticity of blood vessels and reduces the risk of damage and blockage.
The person's blood pressure returns to normal.
The drink warms the body after a long stay in the cold.
Quenches thirst and suppresses the feeling of hunger.
Strengthens general immunity.
Long-term use increases mental capacity and strengthens memory.

As for indications for use in the presence of diseases, the beneficial effects of tea have been identified in such ailments as:

colds and infectious diseases;
vitamin deficiency;
anemia;
tuberculosis;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
diseases of the nervous system;
for cardiovascular disorders.

Cooking features

There are some nuances to how to prepare masala tea. This is not just brewed tea with milk added to it and spices sprinkled in. Preparing masala is much more complicated; in terms of the method of preparation, it is more similar not to the tea we are used to, but to a compote made from various ingredients.

The fact is that preparation occurs with constant boiling of the liquid, into which various components of the drink are added in a timely manner. This will be written about below in the chapter on tea recipes.

Attention! When preparing masala tea, do not allow it to come to a boil. A slow process will more fully reveal all shades of taste, in addition, the milk will not curdle.

To stir the drink, you should use a wooden spoon and do it very carefully, swirling the drink very slowly and carefully. The best way to mix this tea is to carefully pour it from vessel to vessel, thereby enriching the drink with oxygen.

Before pouring tea into cups, the latter should be doused with boiling water to better reveal the spicy aromas.

Recipes

Now we get to the most interesting part - cooking recipes. We will try to give examples of the most popular of them, which are most often found on the World Wide Web. Let’s say right away that each of the above brewing methods is not a dogma, but an area for creativity.

Classical

That’s what we called this recipe because it is the most common one mentioned on the Internet.

Ingredients for one cup of milk (200 grams):

water – 150 grams;
black pepper – 4 peas;
cardamom – 5 pieces;
cloves - 5 pieces;
cinnamon – 1 pinch;
ginger - 1 pinch;
black tea – 2 teaspoons;
sugar or honey - 1 teaspoon.

Cooking method:

Grind the spices thoroughly, pour into a saucepan and add black tea.
Pour the mixture with water and three quarters of milk.
Bring the masala to a boil, add the remaining milk, honey or sugar.
After the drink boils again, remove it from the heat and strain.

This amount of tea, about 300 grams, will be enough to drink for two people, or one big man with ambition.

From Natalia Fedorova

Compared to the classic recipe, the composition of the products and their proportions are slightly different. First of all, this concerns the ratio of milk and water. According to this recipe, take one part of clean, non-chlorinated and still water to two parts of milk.

We take the remaining ingredients based on half a liter of tea:

black tea – 2 tablespoons;
honey or sugar -1 tbsp;
one bud of clove.

I add the rest of the spices a pinch at a time:

ground pepper;
cinnamon, or one small stick;
cardamom;
nutmeg;
ground ginger, or a fresh cube measuring 3 by 3 centimeters.

This tea is prepared in the following sequence:

Pour milk and water into a saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Add all other ingredients at once.
Cook with constant stirring and low simmer for about five minutes.
Turn off and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Strain before serving and pour into cups.

With unground spices

In this recipe, spices are taken in their natural form, and when cooked, they are placed in a gauze bag and dipped into the boiling liquid being prepared. This saves time on grinding, and there is no need to strain the drink after preparation.

Ingredients of unground spices:

cinnamon - 4 small sticks;
cardamom seeds - 1 teaspoon;
carnations - 10 buds.

Composition of other products:

milk – 3 cups;
water – 5 cups;
black tea – 50 grams;
vanilla powder - teaspoon;
honey – 50 grams.

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