I love making my own turmeric chai tea. Not only does it taste better, it’s even better for you. It can help you to lose weight, decrease inflammation and stimulate detox of the liver!
My turmeric chai is packed with anti-inflammatory spices, such as turmeric, cinnamon and cloves. Fresh black pepper and coconut oil enhance the absorption of turmeric’s powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
The dandelion is a great liver tonic, stimulating phase I liver detoxification (which we all need in this environment of toxins).
Black tea is full of anti-oxidants and has even been shown to aid in weight loss. So, a healthy and delicious drink that’s full of beneficial nutrients.
You can choose your milk. I use almond, unsweetened, and add 1/2 tsp of raw honey at the end. Almond milk often has added calcium, which is a bonus. Macadamia milk would be nice too.
Soy milk is ok, in moderation, as long as it’s made from whole soy beans and not soy protein isolate. Whole soy foods, such as tempeh, miso and tofu, have been shown to reduce incidence of cancer in population studies. It’s the extracted soy protein, found in many processed foods, that have been shown to wreak havoc on our hormones, especially thyroid (which manages our metabolism) and increase our risk of cancer. So steer clear!
If you choose cow’s milk, make it full cream and know that it is an inflammatory food, so don’t have too much. You can get calcium from eating lots of leafy greens, some almonds, cashews, sesame seeds and tahini, and salmon with crushed bones (the type you get in canned red salmon).
And finally, try to choose organic (and fair-trade) tea – tea gets sprayed with a lot of pesticide. Everything else, your choice if you go organic or not. So, to the recipe!
Ingredients – spice paste
1 tbsp dried turmeric
1 tbsp Chinese 5 Spice (or use 1/2 cinnamon, 1/2 your choice of star anise, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and/or cardamom)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
5 tbsp water
Ingredients – turmeric chai tea
1 tsp instant dandelion herbal tea granules (or a dandelion tea bag)
1 black tea bag (optional, leave out for a caffeine-free tea)
1 cup almond milk (or your choice of milk)
1/2 tsp raw honey, stirred in after you’ve let it cool enough to be ready to drink
1 tsp spice paste.
Method – spice paste
To make the spice paste, place turmeric, 5 spice, pepper and coconut oil in a small saucepan and stir, gently bringing to the boil. Then add 5 tbsp water and stir until water is incorporated. Simmer this mix until it forms a thick sludge (a few minutes). Pour into a glass jar and allow to cool, before storing in the fridge. This makes enough for many, many chai teas that are now really quick and easy to make.
Method – turmeric chai tea with dandelion
Place 1 tsp spice paste in a small saucepan with milk, dandelion and black tea. Bring to boil (squashing tea bags to get more flavour out) and it’s ready. Pour into your favourite mug and serve with a little honey, to taste, and maybe a delicious bliss ball or two for a satisfying snack. Enjoy.
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