Indian Vegetarian Recipes
Healthy Turmeric Tea (Immune Boosting) and Benefits
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/turmeric-tea/
I have this turmeric tea in the evening time or at times before going to bed. It not only refreshes me but also makes me feel better.
I have been making this tea for sometime – out of my need to let go of Turmeric Milk as I have a slight intolerance to dairy products.
Thus I started mixing turmeric with water instead of milk and having it everyday. Later I started adding a few more spices in the tea and loved it.
I was not even aware that a recipe for turmeric tea already existed on the web. So when I searched there were many recipes and different ways to make this potent concoction.
This Turmeric tea recipe is one that I make often and the ingredients I add are what suits me. Feel free to change the other herbs and spices as per your health constitution and preferences.
On Turmeric
In India, we have been using Turmeric for centuries. These bright yellow roots are even added in Ayurvedic medicines. Turmeric is a staple spice which you will find in all Indian Kitchens.
For the tea or for my regular Indian cooking, I always use organic ground turmeric or GI tagged turmeric. Sometimes packaged turmeric has metanil yellow added as a coloring agent. So it is better to source or get unadulterated ground turmeric or organic turmeric.
About this Turmeric Tea
- takes less than 5 minutes
- is vegan
- has additional spices like true cinnamon, dried ginger and black pepper
- is sweetened with raw sugar (optional)
Benefits of turmeric and other spices
- Turmeric – Curcumin in turmeric has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It boosts immunity and good for the skin too. In the recipe you can add either fresh turmeric roots or ground turmeric powder.
- Black Pepper – Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are also found in black pepper. Moreover, black pepper helps in absorbing curcumin. It also stimulates the appetite and helps in digestion.
- Ceylon Cinnamon – Aromatic Ceylon cinnamon has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It is also good for immunity. Kindly note to use true cinnamon or ceylon cinnamon in any recipe and not cassia cinnamon.
- Ginger – The roots of ginger contain gingerol which has immense anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Ginger also helps in digestion, reducing nausea and aids in relieving cough and cold. In the recipe you can use both fresh ginger root or ground ginger powder.
Why is my Turmeric tea red?
If you see this turmeric tea is dark red and not yellow. Wonder why?
Ginger and cinnamon added to the water make it alkaline. Turmeric when added to an alkaline medium become red. Hence this turmeric tea will have a red color.
Don’t worry on the color part. It is still healthy and turmeric when heated is better for digestion and absorption. That is why in Indian cooking, we always heat turmeric. I have also made this turmeric tea minus the ginger, cinnamon and raw sugar and the color was yellow.
Variations
-
- Tangy tea: If you like sour or tangy tea, then add some lemon juice.
- Sweeteners: I usually prefer sweet tea, hence I sweeten them with a bit of raw sugar or jaggery. You may opt for maple syrup or honey or any other sweetener. If using honey then add it once the tea becomes warm as honey becomes toxic when heated.
- Herbal tea: You can even add some fresh or dried mint leaves, nettle leaves or lemon grass in the tea.
- Floral Flavors: Add dried flowers like chamomile, rose petals, hibiscus, lavender and steep for a few minutes.
- Fresh Herbs: Instead of dried ginger powder, add ½ inch ginger, grated to the water and boil for 5 minutes. You can even use ½ inch of freshly grated turmeric root in the water and boil for 5 minutes.
- Additional spices: Depending on your health needs, you can add spices like carom seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds or coriander seeds in the tea. Cloves, cardamoms or a bit of ground nutmeg can also be added. You can add these spices whole or in powdered form.
Note: If you are pregnant or have allergies to certain spices used in this recipe or a special medical condition then kindly consult your doctor before attempting this recipe..
How to make Turmeric tea
1. In a saucepan take 1 cup water.
2. Add ½ to 1 tablespoon raw unrefined sugar. You can even use jaggery or maple syrup or skip the sweetener completely.
3. Let the water come to a boil and add ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger (dried ginger powder – saunth). ½ teaspoon of freshly grated ginger root or crushed ginger can also be added.
4. Next add ⅛ teaspoon ground ceylon cinnamon (ceylon cinnamon powder and not cassia cinnamon powder)
5. Add ⅛ teaspoon crushed black pepper or ground black pepper.
6. Add ½ teaspoon ground turmeric (turmeric powder).
7. Boil further for a minute or two.
8. Remove pan and pour the tea in a cup or mug. You can even strain the tea while pouring. Enjoy turmeric tea hot or warm.
Turmeric Tea
Immune Boosting Turmeric Tea made with ground turmeric, ground cinnamon, black pepper and ginger powder.
(1 CUP = 250 ML)
- 1 cup water – 250 ml
- ½ to 1 tablespoon raw unrefined sugar or jaggery or maple syrup – optional
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric turmeric powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ceylon cinnamon (ceylon cinnamon powder and not cassia cinnamon powder) – optional
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger dried ginger powder – saunth
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed black pepper or ground black pepper
- In a saucepan take water and raw sugar or jaggery. You can even use maple syrup or skip the sweetener completely.
- Heat the water and let it come to a boil.
- Add turmeric powder, ground ceylon cinnamon, ground ginger and crushed black pepper.
- Boil further for a minute or two.
- Pour and serve. You can even strain the tea.
- Enjoy turmeric tea hot or warm.
- For kids add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder or less.
- Other spices can be skipped. You can add some more additional spices or herbs.
- Lemon juice can be added.
- Fresh Ginger can also be added instead of dry ginger powder. Add ½ inch ginger crushed or grated or ½ teaspoon of grated or crushed ginger.
- Grated turmeric roots can be also added. Add ½ inch of freshly grated turmeric root in the water and boil for 5 minutes.
- Sweeteners can be skipped or you can add your choice of sweetener like agave syrup, maple syrup, jaggery or honey. If adding honey then add once the tea is warm as jaggery becomes toxic when heated.
Nutrition Facts
Turmeric Tea
Amount Per Serving
Calories 15 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 6mg0%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 1g2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Indian Vegetarian Recipes
Paneer Tikka Masala
Paneer Tikka Masala is a popular Indian curry where cubes of paneer (Indian cottage cheese), onions and peppers are marinated with yogurt and spices, grilled and then tossed in a creamy tomato based curry. This dish goes extremely well with butter naan or paratha or basmati rice.
About This Recipe
You know the most famous Indian food in the world? It is Chicken Tikka Masala, at least that’s what I think. You talk to anyone in the UK or USA and even if they don’t know much about Indian food they definitely know about chicken tikka masala. I think the dish is synonyms with Indian food in the west. The vegetarian version of it is of course Paneer Tikka Masala which is also quite popular and you would find it on the menu of most Indian restaurants.
Growing up in India, I had never heard of paneer tikka masala. Sure, we had paneer tikka but adding it to a curry was unknown, at least to me. I remember watching a MasterChef India episode some 10 years back which had chef Vikas Khanna and chef Kunal Kapoor talking about the origin of this dish. They also shared a recipe and so this recipe is inspired from their version.
They of course shared the recipe for chicken tikka masala but I changed it to paneer tikka masala and also made few changes depending on my preferences and availability. This recipe uses curry powder which is a common spice mix in the west (again this spice mix doesn’t even exist in India) and it makes sense since this dish originated in the UK. There are stories of how a chef added cream sauce to chicken tikka to please the taste buds of British people and that’s where it originated from.
There are 2 parts to this recipe- the tikka part where paneer, onions and peppers are marinated with yogurt and spices and then grilled. You can cook the tikka in tandoor, oven or in your pan. The other part of the recipe is the curry which is a smooth curry made with onions, tomatoes, cream and butter. The grilled tikka is added to the curry and then served as a main course with side of bread.
This Paneer Tikka Masala
- is super creamy, smooth.
- goes well with naan, paratha.
- makes a comforting meal.
- leftovers are great as well!
Ingredients
There are 2 parts to this recipe- the paneer tikka and the curry.
Paneer Tikka
Paneer: you can use either homemade or store bought paneer but whatever paneer you use, it should be firm and be able to hold it’s shape. You can find paneer at Indian grocery stores or make it at home.
Yogurt: for the marinade, it is best to use thick yogurt. Either use Greek yogurt or if using regular yogurt, use store bought yogurt which tends to be thicker than homemade yogurt. If using homemade yogurt, strain it using a muslin cloth for at least 3 to 4 hours to get rid of all the excess water.
Spices: the marinade uses coriander powder, garam masala, two types of chili powder, ginger-garlic and lime juice. You can also use fresh herbs like cilantro, mint.
The Masala/Curry
Curry base: the base is made with onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic which is quite a staple for most creamy Indian curries. I like using white onion for that sweet, subtle flavor.
Spices: this paneer tikka masala recipe uses curry powder which is a mix of spices and is popular in the western world. It’s not so much popular in India actually, in fact I didn’t even know it existed until I moved out of India. If you don’t have it, you can use a blend of coriander, cumin, turmeric and ginger.
Flavor enhancers: to make the curry creamy, we finish the recipe with butter, cream and cilantro!
Step by Step Instructions
1- We will start by making the paneer tikka. To a large bowl, add yogurt (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon), make sure the yogurt is thick (if using regular homemade yogurt, drain the yogurt for 3 to 4 hours before using in the recipe). To that add the following:
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- juice of 1/2 lime
2- Using a spatula or whisk, mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
3- Now add 225 grams paneer (cubed into big cubes), 1 medium red onion (quartered and separated into petals) and 1 medium green pepper (cut into 1 inch cubes).
4- Mix until the paneer, onion and peppers are well coated with the marinade. You can use your hands here. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes at the least.
5- Meanwhile, let’s work the curry part of this recipe. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1-inch cinnamon stick.
6- Let the seeds sizzle and then add 1 large white onion (roughly chopped), 3 to 4 large garlic cloves, chopped and 1-inch chopped ginger.
7- Stir and cook for around 5 to 6 minutes until onions turn light golden brown in color, stir often in between.
8- Then add 3 large tomatoes (chopped) along with the following:
- 1& 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
9- Stir and cook the tomatoes for 7 to 8 minutes until soft and completely cooked. This step is important so do not rush this step.
10- Once the tomatoes are completely cooked, remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down a bit and then remove the cinnamon stick and transfer everything to a blender and blend to a fine paste. Set this aside.
11- Back to the tikka now, take the marinated paneer out of the refrigerator. Now, you can cook this in a pan or grill or in your oven. I have used a grill pan that I had. Spray the pan with oil and then add the marinated paneer, onions and bell peppers on the pan.
12- Cook until the paneer turns light golden brown in color and onions and peppers are slightly cooked, turning them few times in between for even cooking. Now it’s time to bring the curry together.
Oven instruction: arrange tikka on skewers and bake at 450 F degrees for 10 minutes and then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to get it browned (optional).
13- Now put the pan back on medium heat and add the pureed paste to it that we had prepared earlier. You can also add remaining 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder at this point if you prefer a brighter color of the curry.
14- Add 1 cup water (or more depending on how much gravy you want), and stir well. Then add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons cream and 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Mix and let it cook for 2 minutes.
15- Add the roasted paneer, onions and peppers into the curry.
16- Mix well and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro and serve paneer tikka masala with naan or paratha.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve paneer tikka masala with the following:
- Butter Naan: nothing like fluffy, soft homemade naan to dip into the curry.
- Jeera rice: rice seasoned with cumin seeds makes the perfect pairing.
- Roti: you can never go wrong with the classic Indian everyday bread.
- Tandoori roti: another great bread to serve the curry with.
Vegan Variation
For a vegan version of this recipe you can do the following substitutions:
- use extra-firm tofu in place of paneer.
- marinate the tofu with thick coconut milk (use the top part from the can) or vegan yogurt (plain almond milk works well).
- replace butter with vegan butter.
- replace heavy cream with coconut milk.
Tips & Notes
- I don’t add cashews or any nuts to this recipe but you can definitely add some cashews along with the onions and tomatoes to make it more creamy.
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) can definitely be added toward the end for that nice aroma.
- If using store bought paneer, remember to soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes before using in the recipe.
- You can also strain the onion-tomato mixture after blending it, that will make the curry totally smooth. I didn’t do it to save time.
Frequently Asked Questions
No they are different. Paneer Tikka is served as an appetizer and has cubes of grilled paneer where for paneer tikka masala the grilled paneer is added to a creamy curry and served as a main dish.
Go for a mix of coriander powder, turmeric, cumin and ginger. For replacing 1 u0026 1/2 teaspoon curry powder in this recipe, I would probably use 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger.
They are both popular paneer recipes but the way you make them is different. For the tikka masala, we first marinate the paneer, grill it and then add to the curry. For the paneer makhani, the sauce is made with nuts, onions, tomatoes and then paneer pieces are added to it directly.
This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in April 2014. I have updated the recipe with better photos, videos and made slight modifications to make it better. The curry part of the recipe is same but I have added onions and peppers to the tikka part. If you wish to make it like the old recipe, just skip on the onions and peppers.
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Paneer Tikka Masala
Ingredients
Paneer Tikka
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp yogurt use thick plain whole milk yogurt which has been strained or Greek yogurt
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder for color
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
- 1/2 lime juice of
- 225 grams paneer cut into cubes
- 1 medium red onion quartered and separated into petals
- 1 medium green pepper cut into 1-inch cubes
Curry
- 1 tablespoon oil I used avocado oil, use oil of choice
- 2 tablespoons butter divided, unsalted or salted either works
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 large white onion roughly chopped, around 150 grams
- 3-4 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1 inch ginger chopped
- 3 large tomatoes roughly chopped, around 400 grams
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder divided (for color, not hot)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar I used granulated white sugar
- 1 cup water or more as needed
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream 30-45 ml
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
-
We will start by making the paneer tikka. To a large bowl, add thick yogurt, make sure the yogurt is thick (if using regular homemade yogurt, drain the yogurt for 3 to 4 hours before using in the recipe or use Greek yogurt).
-
To that add ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, red chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and juice of 1/2 lime.
Using a spatula or whisk, mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
-
Now add cubed paneer, onion (quartered and separated into petals) and green pepper
Mix until the paneer, onion and peppers are well coated with the marinade. You can use your hands here. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes at the least.
-
Meanwhile, let’s work the curry part of this recipe. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds and cinnamon stick.
-
Let the seeds sizzle and then add white onion (roughly chopped), chopped garlic cloves and chopped ginger. Stir and cook for around 5 to 6 minutes until onions turn light golden brown in color, stir often in between.
-
Then add the roughly chopped tomatoes along with curry powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and sugar. Stir and cook the tomatoes for 7 to 8 minutes until soft and completely cooked. This step is important so do not rush this step.
-
Once the tomatoes are completely cooked, remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down a bit and then remove the cinnamon stick and transfer everything to a blender and blend to a fine paste. Set this aside.
-
Back to the tikka now, take the marinated paneer out of the refrigerator. Now, you can cook this in a pan or grill or in your oven. I have used a grill pan that I had. Spray the pan with oil and then add the marinated paneer, onions and bell peppers on the pan.
Cook until the paneer turns light golden brown in color and onions and peppers are slightly cooked, turning them few times in between for even cooking. Now it’s time to bring the curry together.
Oven instruction: arrange tikka on skewers and bake at 450 F degrees for 10 minutes and then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to get it browned (optional).
-
Now put the pan back on medium heat and add the pureed paste to it that we had prepared earlier. You can also add remaining 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder at this point if you prefer a brighter color of the curry.
-
Add 1 cup water (or more depending on how much gravy you want), and stir well. Then add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cream and chopped cilantro. Mix and let it cook for 2 minutes.
-
Add the roasted paneer, onions and peppers into the curry. Mix well and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro and serve paneer tikka masala with naan or paratha.
Video
Notes
- I don’t add cashews or any nuts to this recipe but you can definitely add some cashews along with the onions and tomatoes to make it more creamy.
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) can definitely be added towards the end for that nice aroma.
- If using store bought paneer, remember to soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes before using in the recipe.
- You can also strain the onion-tomato mixture after blending it, that will make the curry totally smooth. I didn’t do it to save time.
- Older recipe: I have updated the recipe to make it better. The older recipe didn’t have onions and pepper added to the marinade and had a tablespoon of less butter in the curry. You can definitely use the old recipe, it’s almost same except these minor changes.
Nutrition
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