Adrakwali Chai Recipe | How to make the best Ginger Tea

Soothing, Comforting with a great refreshing Taste, Adrakwali Chai or Ginger Tea Tea recipe to kickstart your day

For Indians Chai/ Tea is not only their energy boaster or beverage but it is an EMOTION!!

From daily morning and evening ritual, to festive family gatherings, or arrival of unannounced guests, or a break during office hours or simple chit chat among the neighbors... A cup of Tea holds a special place.. In India as we say.. let's create memories over a CUP of TEA!!

Yes, most of the Indians can't do without their daily morning or evening Cup of Tea or as we call it, CHAI!! The flavour, the aroma and that one sip of hot tea refreshes about a million Indians in morning and energies them during the day.

Chai is a must during freezing and chilly cold North Indian winters, rainy days and evenings of Monsoon. Even hot and humid long summers never deter the spirit of a Chai lovers in India!!

Chai is one of the most common beverage in North Indian states. As much as filter coffee is loved by South Indians, Adrakwali Chai is North India's hot favourite.

When we say Tea or Chai, we do not mean any of the flavoured Green Teas or Herbal teas.. When a desi/Indian refers Tea it is the one that has milk added to it, along with the flavoring of choice.

Types of Chai/Indian Teas

Though making Tea involves simple basic steps of boiling water, adding tea leaves, sugar and milk, but each home has their own favourite way of flavoring their tea.

Lots of people like MASALA CHAI (my parent's favourite) with my mom's special Homemade Chai Masala, many like me and my hubby love their ADRAKWALI CHAI . There are many who like to add fresh herbs like Indian Basil ((Tulsi), Lemongrass or even Mint.

And how can I not mention the Cutting Chai from Mumbai!! The strong tea got it's name as it is served in small glasses which are about half the amount of one cup of tea.

I will soon gradually update all the recipes for each one .

What is Adrakwali Chai/Indian Ginger Tea

To my Indian readers, Adrakwali Chai needs no introduction. But for my international readers and those who are not very familiar with it, here is a brief on my favourite tea flavour-- the Ginger Tea.

Adrakwali Chai or Indian Ginger Tea is made by brewing tea leaves in hot water with grated ginger, milk and sugar. I also love to add a pinch of freshly grated black pepper, which enhances the taste of our daily tea.

Benefits of Adrakwali Chai

Ginger Tea is not only boasts our energy levels and refreshes our senses but is also a great drink to get immediate relief when suffering from cold, cough related infections. It clears up the congestion in chest.

It also is also a very helpful to get relief when I am suffering from my PMS or discomfort from menstural cramps.

Gives relief from mild headache to severe migraines.

It is a good to have ginger tea before travelling as strong aroma and volatile oils in ginger, keep nausea at bay due to motion sickness.

Ingredients to make Adrakwali Chai / Indian Ginger Tea

Water, Milk, Sugar and of course Ginger!!

I also add about a pinch or 1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper powder.

Many people like strong tea, which means they like to add more tea leaves and milk as per the water ratio.

Water to milk ratio depends on personal preference and the way tea is made in families since generations.

Many people like a more creamy Chai with more milk.

At my in laws place, they make super creamy tea tea with most of milk and very little water.

Me and hubby like 1:1 ratio of water to milk. Usually, people add 3/4 cup milk for every 1 cup water.

Add sweetener as per your taste. You can add any raw sugar like raw cane sugar, jaggery or coconut palm sugar.

Many people avoid sweetener in their tea due to health reasons. You can also add Stevia for sugar free option.

Tips to make Perfect Adrakwali Chai

Use fresh ginger. Avoid adding dry ginger powder as renders a different taste to tea.

Grate ginger or make coarse paste using mortar and pestle.

Boil water after adding with ginger for about a min and then lower the flame for few seconds, so that the juice are nicely extracted and infused in water.

After adding tea leaves/tea bags boil water for another 30 secs. and then add milk.

After adding milk and sugar(if adding) let the tea come to first boil then lower the flame and cook tea for another about 1-2 mins. Then strain using tea strainer and serve immediately

Serving Suggestions

Tea pair up so well with any type of cookies, savory snacks or breakfast items like

In India most of the people like to have their morning tea with local biscuit brand- PARLE-G. You can pair it with any of your favourite cookie like Jeera/Cumin Cookies or masala buns.

Serve it with breakfast items like Besan Chilla, Upma, Aloo Paratha and many more..

Afternoon or evening tea is also best paired with namkeen(dried savory snacks) like Masala Peanuts, Lehsuni Sev, Masala Papdi or dry fruit and nuts trail mix like Makhana Namkeen/Trail mix.

Pair Adrakwali Chai on a rainy monsoon day with some hot pipping pakoras or Bread pakoras, Aloo poha cutlets. Checkout another snack by Priya Vj's Rava Pakoras/Semolina Fritters a wonderful comforting and filing combination during monsoon season.. Priya used Rawa and Kasuri Methi as secrets ingredients that I asked her to use in her recipe for the monthly food challenge on Facebook ..

The Challange

Tagging Adrakwali Chai/Indian Ginger Tea to my Facebook foodies group Shh Cooking Secretly Challenge. Black pepper and Raw cane sugar were secret ingredients by given Priya). This month's Theme Monsoon Treats was suggested by a very versatile and experienced blogger Shobha Keswaniji from Shobha's Food Mazzza. Her Healthy Drumstick Soup is perfect for a chilly monsoon evening or whenever it rains and we want to have something warm and comforting.

Recipe Card for Adrakwali Chai/Indian Ginger Tea

Do try my version of Adrakwali Chai/Indian Ginger Tea, you will surely love this comforting drink.

Share your feedback whenever you make these. I am sure you and your family will love it as much my family loved it.

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