Desi Iced Tea Recipes to Enjoy

An age-old tradition, tea drinking is a quintessential part of Desi culture.

Many Asians love cup of piping hot chai, delicately infused with spices and herbs.

Some are even addicted to the comforting beverage, and are prone to enjoying five or more cups a day.

While our tea drinking habits have been passed down through the ages, a newly popularised take on the classic cup of chai is beginning to gain momentum.

Iced Tea is a popular refreshment that is thought to have originated in America in the late 1700s. At the time, South Carolina was known as the only colony that used ice and copious amounts of sugar to make sweet punches that were mixed with alcohol.

This summertime treat was actually made using green tea as opposed to black tea leaves. Traditionally, iced tea was made by pouring hot tea over ice and sugar to make a sweet caffeinated tipple.

Gradually the trend to add more fruity flavours like lemon or honey became more commonplace, and now there are endless flavour combinations of iced tea available today.

From alcoholic variations to healthier unsweetened beverages, there are countless iced tea recipes enjoyed all over the world.

In parts of South Asia, iced tea or cold coffee is a popular refreshment for the hot climate, and many traditional Desi teas have been adapted into cooling beverages.

DESIblitz presents some refreshing iced tea flavours with a Desi twist.

Iced Masala Chai

Ingredients:

• 5 cups water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 inches fresh ginger root
• 10 green cardamom
• 8-10 cloves
• 4-5 tbsp. brown sugar
• 6-7 black tea bags
• 2-3 tsp milk
• Mint leaves.
• Lemon slices

Method:

1. Boil water in a saucepan.
2. Add the spices, sugar and a bags and let the mixture steep for 15 minutes.
3. Strain tea and then leave to cool before refrigerating until chilled.
4. Fill a glass with ice and pour over the tea mixture. You can also add a splash of milk or lemon and mint.

Recipe adapted from Indian Simmer.

Iced Chai Tea Latte

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 8 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 slice ginger
• 5 whole cloves
• 4 whole black peppercorns
• 2 black tea bags
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup milk
• Ice

Method:

1. To make the chai tea latte concentrate, mix sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, peppercorns and teabags in a saucepan. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
2. Let the mix simmer for 5 minutes before steeping for another 5 minutes.
3. Remove teabags and let spices steep for another 15 minutes.
4. Strain the mixture and add honey. Leave to cool completely.
5. Pour 6 tbsp. of the mixture into a glass with milk. Serve over ice.

Recipe adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen.

Spiced Iced Tea with Orange

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 tea bags
• 1?2 cup sugar
• 3?4 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Method:

1. In a saucepan, mix water, cloves and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.
2. Take the saucepan off the heat and add tea bags. Leave to steep for 10 minutes.
3. In a separate saucepan, mix sugar, orange juice, and lemon and bring to boil.
4. Strain the tea into the orange juice mix. Chill and then serve over ice.

Recipe adapted from Food.com.

Spiced Honey Iced Tea

Ingredients:

• 1.1 litres water
• 8 Earl Grey tea bags
• 8 cinnamon sticks
• 8 cardamom pods
• 2 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 2 tsp anise seeds
• 2 tsp allspice berries
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 3 tbsp honey
• Lime wedges, thinly sliced oranges and cinnamon sticks, to garnish

Method:

1. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add tea bags and steep for 20 minutes.
2. Remove the tea bags and reheat the tea. Add spices and leave to steep in a bowl overnight.
3. Strain the mixture back into a saucepan and reheat. Add honey and leave to cool.
4. Pour the tea over a glass of ice cubes and garnish with lime wedge, orange slice and cinnamon stick before serving.

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine.

Iced Herbal Tea

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of water
• 3-4 black tea bags
• 1 inch ginger
• 2-3 cardamom
• 1 strand lemon grass
• 3-4 mint leaves
• 3-4 holy basil leaves
• 3/4 cup milk
• 8 tsp unrefined cane sugar

Method:

1. Boil water in a saucepan.
2. Peel ginger and crush with cardamom and add to mix. Add lemon grass, mint and holy basil.
3. Boil for 7-8 minutes, add sugar and boil for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add tea bags and leave to simmer for 3 minutes. Add milk.
5. Strain the tea and leave to cool completely before chilling. Serve over crushed ice.

Recipe adapted from Veg Recipes of India.

Mango Iced Tea

Ingredients:

• 2 mangoes
• 2-3 tea black tea bags
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
• Sugar as required
• Mint leaves

Method:

1. Peel and chop mangoes and puree in a blender. Chill in refrigerator.
2. Heat water in a saucepan. Add tea bags and stir.
3. Leave to steep for 5-7 minutes
4. Strain and leave to cool.
5. Once cool pour into a blender and add mango, lemon and sugar to taste.
6. Blend until smooth. Serve over ice cubes and garnish with mint leaves.

Recipe adapted from Veg Recipes of India.

Iced Mint Tea

Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 2-3 green tea bags
• Fresh mint sprigs
• 112.50g sugar

Method:

1. Boil water and add tea in a bowl. Leave to steep for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Strain tea and add mint. Steep for 5 minutes.
3. Add sugar and leave to cool. Serve over ice.

Recipe adapted from My Recipes.

Lemon and Ginger Iced Tea

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 112.5 g granulated sugar
• 175g cup honey
• 3 inch fresh ginger
• 4 lemons
• 6 cups water
• 6 green tea bags

Method:

1. In a saucepan heat water, sugar and honey. Allow to come to simmer.
2. Remove from heat and add ginger, lemon juice and lemon peel.
3. Let the syrup cool completely and strain.
4. For tea, boil water and let tea bags steep for 5 minutes. Chill.
5. Add syrup to tea and serve over ice.

Recipe adapted from Yummly.

There are numerous health benefits attached to iced tea. In comparison to regular hot tea, they contain little or no calories, if unsweetened. They also hold a higher number of antioxidants.

These Desi inspired iced teas are spicy, flavourful and refreshing. There’s no reason why you cannot enjoy the incredible flavours of your favourite chai or latte as a cold beverage.