Lemon Basil Concoction

Herbal drink et moi? Am I feeling okay? I know, I know, that’s your first thought. I’m feeling just fine, thank you. *evil grin* I was at Bellisimo, my salon/spa, a few weeks ago, and after the most awesome two-and-a-half-hour facial *sigh* the owner Alifiya walked up to me and asked if I’d like something to drink. I turned down her offer for tea or coffee at which she insisted I try the herbal drink they make in-house. Herbal! Me? Gosh! I mentioned I was not an herbal drink person, but she put my mind at ease by telling me it was a delicious one; not yucky at all. I decided to be brave and gave it a try. The end result was that I requested for the recipe and I now brew this concoction nearly every afternoon. I do believe, sometimes, the simplest recipes with the fewest of ingredients turn out to be superb.

Ingredients:

A handful Italian Basil, rinse well under running water

One-inch lump of jaggery or to taste

Juice of half a lime or to taste

250 mils water

Method:

1.  Add Italian Basil to 250 mils water and bring it to a roaring boil. (Don’t worry if the leaves discolour and turn dark during this process)

2.  Continue boiling for a few minutes until the water turns a nice light green hue. The colour change should be visible.

3.  Turn down the heat and remove the basil leaves from the water.

4.  Add a lump of jaggery and allow it to dissolve in the simmering liquid.

5.  When the jaggery melts, check the liquid for sweetness as desired by your palate. Add more if so desired and, of course, allow that to dissolve in the liquid.

6.  Turn off the heat, squeeze in the lime juice.

7.  Strain the liquid into a mug and sip away. This quantity makes one mug (200-210 mils). It's a simple, healthy drink. Bas aur kuch nahi.

Chef’s Notes:

1.  The sweetness of jaggery and the sourness of limes vary hence I’d advise you to check both flavours before adding too much. You can always add more if required.

2.  I have never used Indian Tulsi/Basil for this drink so please don’t ask me if that can be used coz I do not know the answer to that. Try it and if it works, let me know, too. 😉

3.  I think there can be lots of variations to this drink: honey instead of jaggery, organic jaggery instead of regular jaggery, maybe a bit of mint or peppermint when simmering the Italian Basil. I stick/stuck to the basic recipe, though. I don’t like to toy with delicious things. 😉

4.  I’m sure this will taste just as yum if had cold but I think it’s more beneficial when had hot.

5.  Heartfelt thanks to Alifiya for sharing this recipe so wholeheartedly. Not many salon owners would do that. The credit for this recipe is all hers. 

6.  You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blogsite or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off this recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.