Hajme wali Chai

Recipe by Chef Bhairav Singh

Photograph: Vaishali Rajput

The better our digestive system functions, the better we feel, look and perform. Drinking warm Hajme wali Chai just before or during a big meal helps improve digestive health, prevents heartburn, stomach ache and indigestion, and is wonderfully tasty, too.

Ingredients
• 1/2 tsp black salt (kala namak)
• 1/2 tsp cumin (jeera)
• 1 tbsp jaggery (kala gud)
• 1” ginger (adrak)
• 1 lemon (nimbu)
• 5 black peppercorns (kalimiri)
• 4 cups water

Method
Take a teapot, add water and let it boil.
Now take a stone pestle, add cumin, ginger, black pepper, black salt, and crush it well.
Once the water boils, add the crushed mixture to the teapot and boil on medium to low flame for two to three minutes.
Then add jaggery and stir well, once jaggery is dissolved, turn off the flame.  
Now take tea cups, squeeze 5 to 10 drops lemon juice in each cup.
Strain the Hajme wali Chai and serve hot.