Turmeric Tea Recipe (Golden Tea)

This 3 ingredient Turmeric Tea is made using my time-tested traditional recipe. It gives you warming, calming and a palatable drink under 5 mins. You can make it with a fresh root or ground turmeric, to your convenience. I also have a no-brew option.

About Turmeric Tea

Turmeric Tea is a vibrant tea/ decoction made by boiling fresh turmeric root or ground turmeric with plain water. Ingredients such as ginger, black pepper, and ghee or coconut oil are often added to help release the full potential of the spices into the tea.

To make it more palatable and improve the nutrition profile, I sometimes stir in lemon juice, orange juice &/or honey.

As a kid, during the monsoons & winters, I would see grown-ups in my family consumed Turmeric Tea or more stronger Turmeric Shots and Ginger Shots often as a part of their wellness routine.

We, the kids were given Turmeric Milk or plain pepper milk before bedtime. Now decades later, I make the same tea for my family while my growing-up boys love to go with the frothy and creamier Turmeric Latte.

The Turmeric Tea we drink today is a commercial & modern adaptation of the traditional & ancient Haridra Kashayam from India. Different versions of this have been served as a traditional monsoon & winter drink in the South Indian rural households & in Ayurveda retreats.

One of the most traditional versions has the turmeric root sautéed in ghee, then boiled with water and crushed spices for robust flavors and warmth.

Turmeric Root VS Ground Turmeric for Tea

I’ve been making turmeric tea for many years and I feel the fresh root produces a more milder and palatable drink than ground turmeric. Since powder is made by boiling the root, dehydrating and then milling to a super fine texture, it’s stronger so you will need smaller quantity.

I often find the strength of ground turmeric varies by type, brand and soil profile. So feel free to adjust the quantities to your taste preference.

If you are bored with the basic turmeric tea, try my aromatic version from the expert tips section below. It uses more fragrant spices for a more soothing and comforting drink.

Photo Guide

How to make Turmeric Tea (Stepwise Photos)

Option 1 – No-brew option

Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon dried ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, lemon juice and ½ teaspoon ghee/oil to a cup. Bring 1 cup water to a rolling boil in a kettle or a pot and pour into the cup. Mix well and cover. Let sit for 2 to 3 mins. Stir in little sweetener if you want. Another option is to stir in ¼ cup warm orange juice and omit lemon.

Option 2 – Saucepan

1. Slice or chop 1 inch turmeric root or use ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground turmeric/ powder to make 1 serving. Crush or crack 3 to 4 black pepper corn. Choose your fats – ghee or cold pressed oil like extra virgin coconut oil, olive oil or avocado, depending on your diet.

2. Mix together 1¼ cup of water, turmeric, black pepper and fats. If you want you can also add the ghee/oil later just before straining the tea. Optionally for a stronger turmeric tea, slice or chop half inch fresh ginger (or use ¼ teaspoon dried ground ginger).

3. Bring the mixture to a boil & reduce the heat to medium. Boil for 4 to 5 mins if using ground turmeric or for 8 to 10 mins if using ground turmeric.

4. Remove from the heat and rest for 2 to 3 mins. Strain the turmeric tea.

5. Press down the ingredients to extract all of the turmeric goodness.

If you want squeeze in some lemon juice or orange juice for a citrusy flavor and tang. This tea is best served hot or at least warm. You can also stir in organic honey or palm/coconut jaggery to the warm turmeric tea (not to the hot tea).

Fragrant Turmeric Tea with spices

To make a really fragrant version of Turmeric Tea, crush the following spices in a spice grinder or in a mortar pestle. Add to the pot along with turmeric and boil the tea for 10 mins.

• 1 cardamom
• 1 clove
• 3 pepper corn, adjust to heat levels
• 1 inch Ceylon cinnamon (not cassia)
• ¼ teaspoon each of cumin seedds, carom seeds and fennel seeds.

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