Calendula Tulsi Chai Recipe

The following recipe for Calendula Tulsi Chai is a special excerpt from my book, The Healing Garden: Cultivating and Handcrafting Herbal Remedies—a detailed herbal reference, decadent cookbook, and garden manual all in one. It’s written for home gardeners and anyone looking to bring the healing benefits of herbs into their garden, kitchen, and apothecary. Copies can be purchased wherever books are sold. You can find more details on the book and its accompanying bonuses at the Healing Garden Gateway.

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Course Beverage

Yield cups

Equipment

Medium pot with lid

Ingredients

5 cups water
4 medium cinnamon sticks (Cinnamomum verum) or substitute 20 grams cinnamon bark chips.
12 slices dried astragalus root (Astragalus propinquus) or substitute 10 grams cut and sifted astragalus root.
1 ½ tablespoons cut and sifted dried ginger root (Zingiber officinale)
2 teaspoons hulled cardamom seeds (Elettaria cardamomum)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (Piper nigrum)
2 small star anise pods (Illicium verum)
2 whole cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)
⅓ cup whole dried calendula flower (Calendula officinalis)
1 tablespoon packed dried tulsi leaf (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
¼ cup organic cane sugar, honey, or stevia, to taste - Optional

Directions

In a medium pot, combine the water with the cinnamon, astragalus, ginger, cardamom, peppercorns, star anise, and cloves.
Bring to a boil, covered, and turn the heat down to simmer for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the dried calendula flowers and tulsi leaves; stir.
Infuse, covered, for 20 minutes, and then strain.
If you prefer sweet chai, add the sugar after straining; stir well.
Let cool, and store the chai concentrate in the refrigerator. Use within 4 days.

Notes

For an iced chai:
Pour the concentrate over a large cup of crushed ice with your choice of milk or cream.

For a hot chai:
Dilute the concentrate with an equal part water and warm on the stove. Serve with your choice of milk or cream.