A Life-Long Friend in Many Ways:
For me, ginger has become a life-long friend in many ways. The onset of winter is often signalled by my first sore throat and ginger is what I reach for. I instinctively slice it, put it on the boil and mix it with a freshly squeezed organic lemon and maple syrup (or honey if you’re not vegan).
When I take the first sip, it immediately brings me back to chilly mornings spent in Indian hill stations between Punjab and the Himalayas. There, they serve it everywhere as a throat-soothing, deeply comforting drink with a spicy kick. It awakens both the body and the mind, and feels like a warm hug that invigorates the senses!
I’ve been eating gluten-free for years due to problems with bloating and sluggish digestion. Ginger helps me to stimulate my digestive fire (Agni), break down my food and bring me relief from nausea. Many of my friends use it for motion sickness while travelling, too. When I feel like my body needs a detox, it will help to make me feel lighter and more energised.
It’s the heat that ginger creates that helps my circulation and builds up my immunity. I try to avoid most pharmaceuticals, so ginger is often my first go to in helping to fight off first signs of a cold, not just for me, but for Indi and also our kids.
There are a number of ways I incorporate ginger into our daily routine; I would either use it in my daily cooking by adding it into healthy stir-fries or curries or directly by making tea from the root. I’ll be keeping some on hand this Christmas to help my digestion recover from the family feasts.
If you really want to give yourself a treat in this colder season, you can use ginger oil for massages to spoil your body with a warming and energizing rub.
At V-Giyan™ ginger is an essential part of all our curries as it belongs to our tadka – the base of most main dishes! Among onions and garlic, ginger is one of the key ingredients of Punjabi cuisine.
Try some of our V-Giyan™ curries with ginger here.
Recipe for A Sweet Spicy Ginger Tea that you’ll love
Ingredients:
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger root (peeled and sliced thinly)
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup or agave syrup (to keep it vegan)
• A pinch of ground turmeric (optional, for extra health benefits)
• 1-2 slices of organic lemon (optional, for garnish)
Instructions:
• Prepare the ginger: Peel the ginger and slice it thinly. This allows the ginger to release its natural flavours more easily into the tea.
• Boil the water: In a small pot, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add the ginger slices.
• Simmer the ginger: Lower the heat and let the ginger simmer in the water for about 5-7 minutes, depending on how strong you want the flavour to be. The longer it simmers, the spicier and more aromatic it becomes.
• Strain the tea: Once the ginger has steeped to your liking, strain the tea into a mug to remove the ginger pieces.
• Add the lemon and sweetener: Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and sweeten with maple or agave syrup to taste. If you like, you can also add a pinch of turmeric for extra anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Serve and enjoy: Garnish with a slice of lemon if you like, and sip your warm, soothing tea.