Soothing, calming, and comforting classic Indian Chai that can prevent and cure Cold and Cough in this changing weather. It boosts immunity, stops runny nose, prevents sore throat and cough, and relieves you from sickness. It is a natural home remedy to prevent you from infections and sickness which is common during the changing weather or when it gets cold.
We avoid taking medicines and this chai or tea recipe is our go-to drink when it starts to get cold. I make it even when I get the slightest hint from my body that I might get cold. And it treats me instantly. That is why I can confidently say that weather change doesn’t affect me and my body. I am always prepared. 🙂
Story Time
I want to share something very exciting here. Back in 2016 when we were living in Pune, India, Jatin was feeling under the weather. He was sneezing all day and when he starts to sneeze, it doesn’t stop. He had a runny nose and because of this, he was not able to work. I told him to take some medicine or lie down but it was important to work and he couldn’t take leave. He doesn’t slip in any pill unless extremely important. I knew that he would catch a cold if not taken care of at this stage.
He doesn’t drink chai at all but that day I made a big cup of this Indian Chai for him and asked him to drink it. I asked him to consider it as a natural medicine or something that can help you work well at least. He listened to me and drank that one big cup of chai. After a while, he realized that his nose was not runny at all. In fact, he felt some warmth inside and stopped endless sneezing too. After a few hours, ”he” asked me to make the same tea again. Wao! I made it again and to our surprise, he was all okay the next day. Unimaginable!
Since then, it has become our go-to chai when the weather starts to get cold.
What is Indian Chai?
Indian Chai is an extremely popular hot beverage served in every corner of India. Now it is gaining popularity in other parts of the world too. There is a special tea leaf that is used to make Indian Chai. This tea leaf is majorly grown in the Indian state of Assam. To prepare Indian Chai, tea leaf is brewed with a combination of cow milk and water. We even add some sugar and other flavoring ingredients like ginger, cardamom, fennel seeds, etc. Once brewed, it gives a nice red or brown color and a distinct aroma.
Do Not confuse Indian Chai with Yogi Tea. They both are different.
Popular tea leaves used to make Indian Chai are the following:
- Waghbakri
- Tata Tea
- Red Label
- Taj Mahal
Is this recipe vegan-friendly?
Yes. Absolutely!
Since I do not drink cow milk anymore, I make it with Barista Oat Milk (Oatly). You can use the same recipe and instead of cow milk, add barista oat milk in the same quantity. Please check the recipe for vegan Indian chai which tastes very much similar to the regular cow milk chai.
Which Plant-Based Milk is suitable to make Indian Chai?
Which plant-based milk is suitable to make Indian Chai depends a lot on your taste preference. I prefer using Oat Milk because it suits my taste buds. It doesn’t have a strong taste and flavour and it goes very well with the Indian Chai recipe. But you can also try it with your choice of plant-based milk – soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, etc.
Also, use Barista plant-based milk because its consistency is very much similar to cow milk. Other plant-based milks are quite thin and don’t give the right consistency and flavor to our favorite chai. But if you can’t find barista milk, do not worry. We have a solution!
Do not mix water with the milk. Regular plant-based milk contains enough water and you literally do not need to add extra to it. Try this, adjust the ratio depending on your preferred way of chai and I hope it works.
Can I make it with regular plant-based milk and not Barista Milk?
Yes. Why not? You can surely make this Indian Chai with any kind of plant-based milk – regular or Barista. You just need to adjust the quantity of water that you add while making Chai.
If your milk is thicker (Barista), use it like you would use cow milk – one part milk, one part water. But if your plant-based milk is thinner, you do not need to add any water (or less water). Just use it directly to make Indian Chai.
Can we drink milk during a cold and cough?
I do not see any problem if you just have a cold and runny nose. But if you have a cough, avoid milk because it increases phlegm.
How to prevent getting a cold and cough?
It is very easy to catch a cold and cough when the weather starts to change. That’s why it is called “Common Cold”. But if your body is well prepared to fight the infections and you have strong immunity, then you can prevent colds and coughs when the weather starts to change.
Prevention is better than cure.
Following are some of the easy preventive measures that you can take to avoid cold and cough:
- Take rest and sleep well – I can not emphasize enough on this. It is extremely important. The moment your body is not well taken care of, the chances of getting sick increases. Because your body is not ready to fight infections.
- Include fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants like oranges, lemons, berries, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc.
- Include herbs because they are one of the richest sources of antioxidants.
- Drink soups with vegetables, spices, and herbs to boost immunity.
- Prepare Indian Chai with black pepper, fennel seeds, and ginger. *Follow the recipe here.
- Work out and do some physical activity. Walk in the nature.
- Cover up, wear warm clothes and socks and if needed, wear a mask when you are going out.
Ingredients List – for quick reference
Winter Recipes To Boost Immunity
- Miso Soba Noodle Soup with Crispy Tofu
- Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pasta Soup (Italian Minestrone Soup)
- Red Lentil Soup
- Bajre Ke Ladoo (Pearl Millet Energy Balls)
- Makki Ke Ladoo (Corn Meal or Maize Flour Energy Balls)
Now grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make this comforting and everyone’s favorite Indian Chai at home. I am sure that with our recipe, you will not just feel better while sick but also prevent getting sick or catching a cold and cough.
If you try this recipe & like it too, please share the photo of your creation on Instagram and tag us @thefearlesscooking. We just love to see your recreation of our recipes.
Happy Cooking 🙂
Love from us
Richa
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