It is officially the time of chilling winters, with the sun peeking out for a shorter and shorter amount of time. And, since you all are covered up from the outside, we are here to provide you with an inside warm hug with our homemade drinks for winter. Now, you will be able to begin those dreary mornings with some refreshing hot drinks that will keep your immunity strong and fight infectious diseases.
Which drink is good for health in winter?
Among the several healthy hot drinks, hot lemon water is considered a good drink for health in winters. This is because lemon is loaded with Vitamin C, which helps in boosting your immunity and getting healthy skin. It is a great winter drink that also reduces the risk of heart diseases and helps get rid of toxins from the body.
Which drink is good for the cold in India?
Warm turmeric milk is among the traditional winter drinks in India that are used as a cure for cough, cold, and other infectious diseases. All you need is to heat some milk and add a teaspoon of turmeric. Turmeric milk is usually prepared without adding sugar, but if you want to make it sweet, you can add a few drops of honey.
What is the healthiest drink to drink in the morning?
A healthy drink in the morning can be quite beneficial for your health. Ranging from cinnamon tea to warm lemon water, there are numerous options of quick drinks that can be added to your morning rituals for better health. For example, you can begin your day by having a cup of green tea or lemon water with chia seeds or even jeera water.
What is the popular drink in India?
Masala chai is one of the most well-known and favorite drinks in several parts of India, with the country consuming about 837,000 tonnes of it every year. In fact, the ritual of drinking tea transcends all the boundaries, with chai wallahs being found at every corner of the roadside, who serve it boiled up with sugar, spices, and milk.
Which drink is best for an empty stomach?
Homemade drinks that are best for an empty stomach include coriander water, cumin, lemon water, and cinnamon water with honey. These drinks not only serve as the best detox drinks but also turn out to be very effective in weight loss. Moreover, just a glass of plain warm water can also serve as the best empty stomach drink for glowing skin.
Check out these hot recipes of Indian winter drinks that can be easily made in the comfort of your home.
- Masala Chai
Masala chai is the most popular Indian drink that is especially beneficial for the elders. Milk is rich in protein and adding spices to it doubles the benefits. Masala chai is quite beneficial for joint pains, aids digestion, boosts immunity, reduces inflammation, and even increases energy levels.
Steps to make Masala Chai
- Take some crushed cinnamon, clove, and cardamom in a bowl.
- Add ginger and pepper to it and boil all these ingredients in water.
- Remove the pan and leave it aside for about a few minutes.
- Next, add some sugar and black tea to it and give it a boil.
- Lastly, add the same amount of milk as water to the pan and give it a good boil.
And, your tea is ready.
- Kashmiri Kahwa
The traditional Kashmiri Kahwa is beneficial for digestion, metabolism, and even weight loss. It also boosts the immunity system and cleanses the stomach. However, to enjoy the best health benefits, you must consume a cup of Kahwa after each meal.
Steps to make Kashmiri Kahwa
- Heat some water in a pan and saffron, cloves, cinnamon, dried rose petals, and cardamom, and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Switch off the gas, add grean tea to the pan, and let it steep.
- Strain the tea and add pieces of saffron and almond slivers. Add a bit of honey if you want to make it sweet and serve it hot.
- Honey Ginger Tea
Honey ginger tea has usually been used as a good home remedy for colds and coughs. It acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and also strengthens the immune system. In addition, this sweet and pleasant drink is a cough suppressant and also aids in relieving sore throat.
Steps to make Honey Ginger Tea
- Heat a cup of water in a saucepan.
- Add ginger to it before it begins to boil.
- As soon as it begins to boil, add tea leaves and honey to it.
- Strain the tea and enjoy!
- Hot Toddy
Hot toddy, as the name suggests, is served hot and is a great drinkthat is a combination of honey, lemon, and hot water. It is a drink that can do wonders for someone who’s sick. It soothes the throat and provides someone with shaking chills a warm hug. It also includes ingredients that boost the immune system and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Steps to make a Hot Toddy
- Boil water in a saucepan and add 30-50 milliliters of whiskey to it.
- Next, add 3 teaspoons of honey and a splash of lemon juice to it.
- Mix the ingredients in water and garnish it with a cinnamon stick and chunk of lemon.
To make it a non-alcoholic water drink, you can swap whiskey for tea.
- Hot Chocolate
One of the most delicious hot drinks, hot chocolate is good for your heart. It is also known to boost brain power, lower blood pressure and diabetes, and even mood swings. In addition, being rich in antioxidants helps lower your cholesterol and BP. Thus, there is nothing good than having a cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day.
Steps to make Hot Chocolate
- Begin by taking a cup of coconut or other milk in a pan.
- Add a dash of cinnamon, cardamom, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon reishi powder, and 1 teaspoon cacao powder.
- Boil all these ingredients together.
- Mix it with a blender to make it frothy and serve hot.
- Ginger and Jaggery Tea
Ginger-jaggery or gud-adrak chai is a great warm and delicious drink to start your day with, especially during the winters. This hot drink prevents cold and other seasonal diseases and promotes good health.
Steps to make Ginger Jaggery Tea
- Take a cup of water and bring it to a boil.
- Add grated ginger and tea leaves to it and heat it.
- Switch off the gas and add jaggery to it and mix well.
- Bajra Raab
Warm and comforting, bajra raab is an excellent recipe for cold winter days. It is beneficial for immunity and is an ideal beverage for diabetic patients. The ingredients used in the drink are also known to ward off the risk of infections and soothe cold and cough.
Steps to make Bajra Raab
- Heat ghee in a pot on medium flame.
- Once the ghee is hot, add carom seeds to it.
- Next, add bajra flour and dry roast it for a few minutes till you smell its aroma.
- Heat water in a separate hot and mix jaggery to it.
- Add ginger powder, salt, and jaggery to the pot of bajra.
- Boil the mixture with continuous stirring to avoid any lumps.
- Pour it in a glass and serve hot.
- Hot Mushroom Tea
Mushroom tea has several health benefits, including boosting the immune system, improving mental health, and relieving stress and anxiety. Moreover, it also helps in aiding digestion and is an easy drink that can be tried in the comfort of your kitchen.
Steps to make Hot Mushroom Tea
- Add two cups of water to a saucepan and let it heat for some time.
- Break down about 3-5 grams of mushroom pieces into smaller chunks and add hot water to the bowl of mushrooms.
- Add a tea bag and let it steep for 10-15 minutes.
- Next, add ginger pieces, lemon juice, and honey to another cup of water.
- Mix the two cups in a saucepan and let it steep for a few minutes.
- Strain the mixture and serve it.
- Lemon Grass Mint Tea
Lemongrass mint tea is a great winter drink for oily skin that carries anti-bacterial properties and improves blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Moreover, the mint added to it helps in soothing indigestion and stomach issues and even boosting immunity.
Steps to make Lemongrass Tea
- Boil a cup of water and add lemongrass, mint leaves, and cardamom to it.
- Mix well on a medium flame for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add milk to it and boil it for about 2 minutes while stirring.
- Add the tea leaves and sugar and keep stirring.
- Strain the tea and serve hot.
- Turkish Tea
Turkish tea is a special drink served in special curved glasses and comes with some significant benefits. These include maintaining the body’s water balance, overcoming tension and insomnia, boosting the immune system, simplifying digestion, and stopping diarrhea.
Steps to make Turkish Tea
- Pour 1/4th of water into a pot and add tea leaves to it.
- Place the lower pot with water on the stove and the smaller pot on top of it.
- Bring the water to a boil so that steam from the lower pot heats the water in the upper pot.
- Refill the water in both the pots and brew the tea for 10-15 minutes, till it settles down.
- Pour the tea into glasses and add water to dilute the tea.
Although Turkish tea is served without sugar and milk, you can add a pinch of sugar if you want it to be sweet
- Kanji
Kanji, a popular carrot drink savored during Holi time, is also an amazing drink for winters that are enriched with probiotics. It is a fermented drink with a pungent-zingy taste made from leftover vegetables. This delicious drink promotes immunity, gut health, weight loss, digestion, and boosting skin health.
Steps to make Kanji
- Take about 250 grams of carrot and slice them about the size of a finger.
- Boil the water in a pan and add carrots.
- When water comes to a boil, switch off the heat and let it cool.
- Add salt and mustard powder and transfer it to a jar with a lid.
- Keep the jar in the sun and let it mature.
- It will take about 3-4 days to prepare the drink in the sun.
- Tulsi Tea
This tea is made from the holy Tulsi leaves and has several benefits. Tulsi tea strengthens the immune system, enhances well-being, promotes heart health, lowers blood pressure, and is great during the symptoms of menopause.
Steps to make Tulsi Tea
- Take a pan and add two and a half cups of water. Put the pan on high flame.
- Now, add 2 powdered cardamom, 8 Tulsi leaves, 1 inch chopped ginger, and let it boil.
- Let it boil till the water reduces to two cups.
- Turn off the gas, strain the tea and dash some lemon juice and honey to it.
- Turmeric Milk
Turmeric or golden milk is an extremely beneficial drink, especially for dry skin, and can be taken daily. Its ingredients have powerful anti-inflammatory properties that strengthen the immune system and improve the health of the heart. Turmeric milk also serves as a source of antioxidants.
Steps to make Turmeric Milk
- Boil some milk in a pan.
- Allow it to cool down a bit. When it is slightly hot, add turmeric paste or powder and black pepper powder.
- Mix it well and transfer it to a cup. It is optional to strain the milk or not.
Although it is more beneficial to drink milk without sugar, you can add it if you want it to be sweet.
- Kadha
Another traditional Indian drink was consumed by almost all of us during the Covid pandemic. It is a beneficial drink during winters as it is effective against cough, cold and seasonal flu. Made with Indian herbs, this drink is a natural immunity booster.
Steps to make Kadha
- Take some water in a pan and boil it.
- Next, crush black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and add them to boiled water along with some basil leaves.
- Cook it for about 20 minutes, till the water reduces to half.
- Strain it in a glass. Add some honey to it, and your kadha is ready.
Conclusion
Try these fantastic recipes for hot and delicious drinks to warm up yourself during the cold winters. We hope that these beverages will leave you satisfied as you brave through the freezing winter nights.