Sulaimani Tea Recipe - Kerala Lemon Tea

Sulaimai tea with detailed photo and video- A flavour infused lemon tea from Northern Kerala.

When the word sulaimai tea come into my mind, it takes me to the memories of Mangalore marriages, where this flavoursome tea was served with fresh hot jalebies after heavy afternoon lunch. It was really refreshing when taken after the heavy lunch. This sweet and sour fragrant tea not only acts as a real refresher, but also helps in digestion .

The Sulaimai tea has so many variations, available in the northern side of Kerala, and here in this post, I am sharing the way I prepare sulaimani at home, tried my best to get the exact taste of sulaimai, I have tasted several years before while in Mangalore, Karnataka. This tea is an inevitable part of Malabar's non-vegetarian feasts, especially during id and other festivals. Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger etc, are the flavour contributors and a slight sourness is introduced with freshly squeezed lemon. The lemon also provides an beautiful golden colour to the tea, especially when mixed with dark brown strong tea.

A sulaimai tea is usually sweeter in nature, so I would suggest you to put more sugar than usual. You can also use honey and jaggery in the place of sugar. This tea is not only delicious, but also aid digestion. That's why people drink it after having a belly full of heavy meals.

How To Make Sulaimai Tea | Kerala Sulaimai Tea Recipe | Kerala's Sweet And Tangy Tea, The Sulaimai Tea Recipe From Malabar

Flavours infused lemon tea from Northern Kerala

Preparation time: 2 minutes | Cooking time: 5 minutes | Total time: 8 minutes

Ingredients

2 to 2.5 cups of water
3 cardamom
2 cloves
A small piece of cinnamon
1 tsp grated ginger
3 tsp sugar
1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon tea powder

How to make sulaimai tea - video

Sulaimani tea preparation with step by step photos

To make two glasses of sulaimani tea, you need to add half more cup water into the saucepan as this tea need to get reduced a bit in order to get the flavours infused. So if you want one full glass of tea, you have to add quarter glass water extra. To this water I have added some grated ginger and mint leaves. As I have already said, this tea is served after a heavy meal in order to aid digestion. Both mint and ginger has its own therapeutic properties and it helps in digestion.
Next, you have to add the whole spices, just crushed a bit. I used cloves, cinnamon and cardamom here. I would like to use a small piece of cinnamon to get a balanced taste and don't allow the cinnamon to overwhelm the beautiful aroma of cardamom and cloves.
Then, add sugar, you need to add double the amount of sugar you use to make a tea normally. For two cups of tea, you will need three teaspoons of sugar and of course, this tea is sweet in nature.
Let it boil on high flame, then reduce the flame to medium or low and allow it to reduce a bit until the flavours infused into the water completely. You will feel the beautiful aroma of the spices and the boiling water will be a little darker in colour.
Put tea powder and give a nice boil. Do not boil it for a long time, unless if you like to get the bitterness of tea powder. You can use tea leaves also, then put them in the beginning while you mix the spices with water.
Switch off the flame and squeeze half lemon Mix and do the taste test and adjust the sugar and lemon juice. The acidity of lemon will play magic and will yield a beautiful golden yellow coloured tea at this stage.
Seive through a tea strainer.
Enjoy this hot aromatic lemon tea whenever you like.