Sulaimani chai

A freshly brewed cup of tea without milk is the most delicious drink when you walk the Royal roads of Thiruvananthapuram. My home town, in and around Padmanabha Swamy temple which is walk able distance from my parental home. 

Well, talking about Sulaimani tea which is from the Northern part of Kerala especially Kozhikode. It dates back to the Arab traders who constantly visited the coastal Kerala for trade purposes. 

It was a delicious cup of tea they used to talk and finalize business ventures unlike today where we end up having freshly brewed beer!

Sulaimani chai is brewed to beautiful amber shade and served with liberal dose of lemon. A piece of basil leaf or mint leaf floating the drink is not a surprise to many of the tea lovers. A dash of freshly ground ginger, cinnamon stick, cardamom and clove is all it takes to make this tea. 

Sulaimani chai

Ingredients

1 tsp tea powder

2 cardamom (crushed)

2 clove(crushed)

A small cinnamon stick(crushed)

A small piece of ginger(thinly sliced and crushed)

2 tsp sugar

2 to 3 glasses of water

Half a lemon extract

2 basil leaves

A small piece of lemon grass

Tips

*Use cold water for making tea. Once the spices are boiled in water the flavours are better enhanced.

* I have used garden fresh basil and lemon grass. You can use mint if it's available.

Method

*In a saucepan pour two cups of water,add crushed ginger, cardamom,clove and cinnamon stick. Bring to boil.

*Add tea powder and sugar.

*Once the concoction turns into golden brown, off stove. Add basil and lemon grass.

* Strain the tea in cups, add lemon extract and serve hot.

I love this herby, spicy tea.