Being an Indian I absolutely love my cup of hot masala tea. Of late it has been so hot and muggy that all you want is an iced cold drink to sip on. So I decided to make an iced version of my masala tea without the milk and it absolutely hit the spot.
I boil the water with lemongrass, ginger, mint and cardamom. Lemongrass is a plant used a lot in South East Asian cooking. Its flavor profile is very similar to lemon. It is citrusy but it tastes almost like a mix between lemon and mint. Ginger is spicy, slightly sweet, warm and has a pungent aroma. Mint leaves add a fresh, aromatic flavor and have a cooling after taste. Cardamom pods of course add amazing warmth to the tea.
Add simple syrup and a dash of lemon juice to the iced tea as per your taste. Serve the tea in a glass full of ice, garnished with fresh lemon slices and mint leaves. I also like to add a stalk of lemongrass as a stirrer in the glass. This iced tea is cooling, refreshing and full of flavor. The perfect drink for a hot summer day.
Here is how I make it…
- 4½ cups water
- 2-inch piece lemongrass, slit
- 2-inch piece ginger, sliced
- 15-20 mint leaves
- 4 cardamom pods, lightly pounded
- 4 Darjeeling teabags
- Juice of half a lemon
- ½ cup sugar
- In a small saucepan, add sugar and half cup water for simple syrup. Boil for 5-7 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add four cups of water, lemongrass, ginger, mint leaves and cardamom pods. Cover and boil on medium heat for about 20 minutes.
- Add tea bags, turn off heat and allow to steep for 5-7 minutes.
- Strain the tea into a pitcher and chill it in the fridge for a couple of hours.
- To serve, fill a glass with ice, add a dash of lemon juice and sugar syrup as per your taste. Top op with cold iced tea.
- Enjoy chilled.
- Pound the ginger and lemongrass lightly to bring out the flavor.