Lemon-Tea

#LemonTea [ #LebuCha ] : 

I have tasted lemon tea at various places in India. The lemon tea made in each place differs in taste and flavor. Each drink happens to be unique which explains the character of that place. The tea I had at Wayanad in Kerala was actually a black tea with a dash of lemon and sugar. The lemon tea made by a staff at my husband's office in Chennai used to be very tasty. He used only the basic ingredients such as tea, sugar and lemon juice. I learned the method of making tasty lemon tea from him. But the lemon tea I prepared wasn't as good as his tea. The secret for the taste might be exact quantity at particular combinations. But two tiny glasses of lemon tea that I tasted at a railway station in Jharkhand was really different and brought me back from great discomfort!! The tea was very refreshing, pleasant and more importantly comforting.

Last year we were transferred and moved from Mysore to Chittaranjan, a township in West Bengal.  After settling down in Chittaranjan, we traveled by train to many places in West Bengal & nearby states like Bihar & Jharkand and wherever we went I used to take lemon tea, commonly called 'lal chai' or 'lebu cha'.

 

My choice is always lemon tea - lebu cha as it gives instant energy and a real rejuvenator. One more strong reason to take lemon tea is because of a situation I faced during a visit to a place called #Madhupur in Jharkhand. Madhupur is a railway junction on Howrah - Delhi main line at a distance of approximately 54 km from Chittaranjan by train. It was in Bengal before partition and then Bihar. Now it belongs to the state of Jharkhand. It was famous among the elite people of Bengal because of its climate and greenery. Many well known elite people of Bengal from Kolkata built bungalows and used to stay for a long period of time during Durga puja and also in winter from December to January. There is a place called 52 Bigha [ Baawan Bigha ] which was known as Holland of India long ago for its natural beauty. The town is also famous for mouth watering sweets and Lassi. We planned to go there on a holiday by taking a local train in the morning by 8 am and after seeing interesting places over there return back by evening.

On one Sunday after having breakfast at home me and my husband reached Chittaranjan railway station. I think it was our first outing after coming to Chittaranjan.  We thought being a holiday there wouldn't be much of a crowd. The train arrived a bit late and it was very crowded. We somehow managed to get into a coach. The coach was jam packed with people. First half an hour journey was nice and the train stopped in a station or two and chugged on. Then stopped at a station and stayed put there for more than half an hour. Even though the train was crowded I didn't feel uncomfortable when the train was moving smoothly. The weather was too hot and humid and because of the crowd it was unbearable when the train was motionless at a station. The train again started moving but I was not able to stand on my legs and felt dizzy. I sat on the floor of the coach and drank water. My husband told me in another fifteen minutes the train would reach Madhupur Junction. Some more people got down from the coach at a station just before Madhupur and I slowly returned back to normal. Then our train reached the destination and we alighted from the train.

My husband asked me to sit on a bench in the platform and went in search of a tea shop or juice shop to get some refreshing drink for me. He came back with two cups of hot lemon tea.  Usually the tea cups used to be as tiny as that of half of our fore finger in this region.The quantity served might be less than 25 ml. That quantity may not be sufficient for us as we are accustomed to drink nearly 100  ml of tea or coffee at home and also in coffee shops/hotels in Tamil Nadu. That was the reason why he bought two cups of lemon tea for me. As I told you in the beginning after relishing the tea I felt relieved and became energetic. When I was sipping the second cup of tea a cab driver approached us to take us around the town to see interesting places. I regained my full energy back and our exploration of Madhupur began.

Lebu Cha made it possible.

From then onwards I started preparing lemon tea - Lebu cha at home frequently. I haven't searched any recipe from online or asked for its recipe from any person over here. But I have keenly observed how the vendors served tea on the street shops and in the train. The tea vendors come with a tea pot with hot brewed tea. When anyone asks for a cup of lemon tea they used to squeeze  in 3 to 4 drops of lemon juice into a tiny paper cup and add a pinch of  masala powder and then pour hot brewed tea over it.  Its taste used to be a little bit salty [ rock salt taste ], spicy [ black peppery ], sweet and sometimes got ginger taste also. Keeping those tastes in my mind I prepared Lebu cha in my own way and every time the drink comes out perfectly!!

Note : I always use Date Palm sugar [ ஈச்ச வெல்லம் ] to make lebu cha which is widely available in West Bengal.

It can be replaced with Palm sugar [ பனை வெல்லம் ] or jaggery or sugar.

Making Time            : 10 mins

Number of Cups       : 2 

Ingredients :
1 Tsp	Tea powder
2 - 4 pinch	Black pepper freshly crushed
2 pinch	Black salt [ Rock salt ]
2 Tsp	Palm sugar*
1/2 inch long	Ginger crushed
1/2	Lemon

* If Palm sugar is not available then take jaggery or sugar.

Method :

Peel ginger and crush it.

Powder black salt.

Take a vessel and add two tea cups of water.

Heat on a stove over medium flame.

Add crushed ginger and bring it to boil.

Reduce the flame and let it simmer for 2 minutes.

After two minutes turn off the stove and add tea powder.

Close the vessel with a lid.

Let it be closed for 2 - 3 minutes.

In the meantime rinse the tea cups with hot water.

Then add a pinch of black salt, a pinch of black pepper and palm sugar in each cup.

Now add 3 to 4 drops of lemon juice in each cup.

Remove the lid from the vessel.

Strain brewed tea through a tea filter into the cups.

Mix well with a spoon.

Adjust lemon juice according to your taste.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!! You would definitely feel energetic after a cup of Lebu Cha, the Lemon Tea.

You might like to try

Mango milk shake with karpooravalli[omavalli]

Bael fruit - Vilva pazha juice

Mango milk shake with Tulasi

Green Tea with Mint

Tulasi Herbal Tea

Green Tea with Tulasi

For other Juice, Soups and Porridge varieties

Refreshments

Tulasi-Herbal-Tea

#TulasiHerbalTea #HolyBasilHerbalTea :
We had a habit of relishing either tea or coffee in the morning. Then we started taking milk mixed with horlicks or boost. When we were in Raipur, my daughter brought herbal tea bags of different herbs and flavors from Germany. Also I came to know about tea being prepared with a variety of herbs in different parts of the world through a TV documentary. 

 

We had Tulasi [ HolyBasil ] plants and pudina [ mint ] bed in my garden. So initially I started preparing green tea with either mint or tulasi. When green tea wasn't available in my pantry, I boiled a handful of Tulasi or mint leaves in water and started relishing the herbs infused water. 

We slowly widened our horizon and started experimenting with different leaves like, Bael, Keezhanelli [ Gale of the wind or seed under leaves ],  Moringa [ drum stick ], Guava, Pongamia, Neem, Peepal, etc.,... I used to prepare herbal tea from a single type of leaves for three to four days continuously. Then I will go for the next type of herbal tea for another three or four days.

Now due to Corona pandemic situation the government and doctors are advising the people to drink decoction [ kashayam ] made from ginger, garlic, turmeric and black pepper to increase body immunity against the virus and also to consume Vitamin C rich fruits like Lemon, Orange, Musambi [ sathukudi ], Nellikkai [ Amla ], etc.,...

Keeping the advisory in mind I have included them in my herbal tea preparation. Here I have prepared a herbal tea from Tulasi adding immunity boosting ingredients.

#Tulasi or #Tulsi is also known as #HolyBasil and the scientific name is Ocimum sanctum.
Tulasi leaves have a strong aroma and is an astringent. Some of the varieties taste bitter and some have clove-like aroma and spicy taste.

It has been used in Ayurveda and in other Indian system of medicine to treat asthma, bronchitis, arthritis,cold and flu for many centuries.
Tulasi is considered as an adaptogenic herb, plants that help to adapt the body to stress and boost energy. Other adaptogens are ashwagandha, astragalus root, Siberian ginseng and turmeric.
It contains Eugenol just like Clove oil, the substance for its pain relieving property.

Tulasi is also rich in antioxidant, anti inflammatory,
and has anti aging property.

Tulasi is a blood purifier and also helps the body to remove
toxins & wastes at the cellular level.

Daily 8 - 10 fresh leaves can be chewed to reap the health benefits of Tulasi.

Ingredients :
A hand full	Tulasi leaves
1/2 inch piece	Ginger
1/4 inch piece	Turmeric tuber
1 -2 cloves	Garlic
1/4 Tsp	Black pepper crushed
1 small	Lemon

If turmeric tuber is not available then 1/4 tsp turmeric powder can be used.

Honey or jaggery can be added to make the drink more tasty.

[ I prefer to drink without sweetner ]

Method :

Wash tulasi leaves [ holy basil ] in water and keep over a cutting board to drain water.

Take a vessel and add 2 cups of water.

Heat on a stove over medium flame.

Smash ginger, turmeric tuber and garlic and put into the water.

Dab the Tulasi leaves using the back of a big ladle and tear the leaves with hand.

Then add the tulasi leaves and two pinches of crushed pepper.

When water starts boiling, reduce the flame completely.

Let it simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.

Then turn off the stove.

Now squeeze lemon juice into the vessel and put the lemon skin also into it.

Let it stand for two minutes.

Strain through a tea filter into tea cups.

Sprinkle a pinch of freshly crushed black pepper.

Serve hot.

If necessary add honey or jaggery for taste.

You might also like to try

Muskmelon Mint juice

Aam Panna - Raw Mango Juice

Muskmelon Mango juice

Green Tea with Mint

Green Tea with Tulasi

Mango milk shake with karpooravalli[omavalli]

Bael fruit - Vilva pazha juice

Mango milk shake with Tulasi

For other Juice, Soups and Porridge varieties

Refreshments

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Ponderosa-Lemon-Puli-Pachadi

#PonderosaLemonPuliPachadi  #CitronPuliPachadi :
A few days back I received a big lemon from my neighbour. I have found out the name of that big lemon through web search. The big lemon is called #PonderosaLemon. It is actually a citron fruit but taste like a true lemon. I made a tasty pickle from it.
Now again I got another Ponderosa lemon from my neighbor and this time it was even more bigger in size than the earlier one. It was approximately 15 cm long on the lengthier side and might be 7 - 8 cm wide at the middle. I have clicked through camera by keeping it next to a normal sized guava just to show how big the lemon was!

I was pondering over what could be prepared from it other than pickle. Then a dish came to my mind that my mom used to make from citron fruit and I decided to make it with the fruit. It was a tamarind based dish and called puli pachadi. Usually citron rind slightly bitter in taste. Tamarind juice is being added to lessen the bitter taste.

#PonderosaLemon was originally developed in Italy as a hybrid between a Citron [ which has large pointed fruit ] and a table lemon. Ponderosa lemon tree is often grown as an ornamental tree in the garden. It is also called by a nickname - " the five pound lemon " as they are massive when compared to regular lemon sizes. These lemons do not often grow quite that big every harvest but they do often reach three to four pounds at the end of the season.
Ponderosa Lemon bears medium to large fruits that have a thick and bumpy rind [ skin ]. The fruits are seedy and white. They look similar to a citron [ நார்த்தங்காய் ] but taste like a lemon. The rind is thicker and bumpier than true lemon, with a typical yellow lemon color. Inside the fruit is pale yellow-green, juicy and seedy. The taste is very acidic, similar to true lemon.

Nutritional value of Ponderosa Lemon :
They are very high in Vitamin C like lemons.
One half cup of ponderosa lemon juice contains the full daily recommendation of Vitamin C.
It also has small amount of dietary fiber and Iron. Low in Calories.
The juice contains antioxidants which promote health and strengthen the immune system.

Preparation Time              : 25 Mins
Cooking Time                   : 20 - 25 mins
Quantity of pickle             : 1 Cup approx.

This recipe holds good for any Citron fruit.

Ingredients :
1 Cup	Ponderosa Lemon [ Citron ] chopped
10 - 15	Fresh Green Chilly [ adjust ]
1 Tbsp	Turmeric tuber chopped
1/ 1/2 Tbsp	Ginger chopped nicely
Lemon size	Tamarind
Marble size piece	Jaggery
1 Tsp	Mustard seeds
2 Tsp	Bengal gram [ Channa dal ]
Small piece	Asafoetida
3 Tbsp	Gingelly oil [ Sesame / Til oil ]
1/2 Tsp	Black pepper Powder
2 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]

Note : I always use gingelly oil to make pickle/pachadi. It can be replaced with ground nut oil or any other cooking oil.

Method :

Cutting and steam cooking Ponderosa lemon [ citron ] :

Wash the fruit well in water.
Halve it into two.
Remove the seeds from the center of the fruit.

Cut into small equal sized pieces. { approx. 1 Cup }
Transfer into a vessel.

Soak tamarind in hot water.

Heat an Idli maker with two cups of water on a stove over high flame.
Keep the vessel containing citron pieces on a steamer plate inside the idli maker.
Close idli maker and allow it to steam cook for 12 minutes.
[ Or steam cook it using a pressure cooker without putting weight over the cooker lid ]
Turn off the stove and take out the vessel.
The rind of citron pieces would have cooked soft.
Set aside.

Squeeze out juice from soaked tamarind adding little water.
Strain through a colander into a bowl and set aside.
Chop chilly nicely.
Now all the preparation work is over and have to start making pachadi.

Method of making Pachadi :

Heat an iron kadai on a stove over medium heat.
Add 3 Tbsp of oil and wait till it attains smoking temperature.
Reduce the flame and add mustard seeds, asafoetida and bengal gram.
Stir well till bengal gram [ channa dal ] turns golden color.

Then add chilly pieces and stir for a minute.
Now add chopped ginger and turmeric tuber.
Saute for 2 minutes.

Then add steamed pieces and saute for 3 to 5 minutes.
Now add tamarind juice and salt. Mix well.
Let it be on slow flame till oil comes out and floats on the surface.

Finally add jaggery, 1/2 Tsp black pepper powder [ optional ] and mix well.
Let it simmer for another 2 - 3 minutes or till the pachadi becomes shiny.
Turn off the stove and transfer into a porcelain or glass bowl.
Keep it open on the kitchen platform or on the table till it cools down to room temperature.

Close with a lid after it cools down completely.

It cane be transferred into a clean and dry glass/pet bottle and stored in the fridge.

The Ponderosa lemon puli pachadi [ citron puli pachadi ] goes well with hot white rice mixed with lentil
and also curd rice. 

Spicy n tangy mixed rice can also be prepared!

Take hot white rice in a basin or wide mouthed vessel.

Add 2 Tsp of gingelly oil [ sesame/til ] and allow to cool down under the fan.

Temper mustard seeds, bengal gram, peanut and curry leaves with a teaspoon of oil and transfer into the vessel containing white rice.

After it cools down add pepper powder, 1 or 2 tsp of Ponderosa lemon puli pachadi [ citron pachadi ], and salt. Mix gently adding required amount of salt.

If you want the rice to be spicy then add red chilly powder also.

Now spicy n tangy puli pachadi rice is ready to relish.

Have with any spicy curry 

or with crunchy vengaya vathal.






Other recipes you might like to try

Maangai thokku [ Mango pickle ]

avakkai - mystyle

Ponderosa Lemon Pickle

Venthaya Pachadi

nellikkai urugai

Recipe Index

Salad and Pachadi