Masala Herb

Global Food & Travel

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • TRAVEL
  • Contact
  • New? Start HERE!

Fresh Tulsi Tea – Holy Basil

April 29, 2017 by Helene Dsouza 32 Comments

208shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Helene Dsouza
A refreshing and healthy Tulsi Tea (aka holy basil). You can use dried or fresh tulsi leaves. Eventually, you have the option of preparing variations of tulsi tea by adding other ingredients to the boiling process, such as fresh Ginger, White Tea, licorice root, chamomile flower buds, pepper mint among others.
Total Time: 5 minutes
5 from 2 votes
Jump to Recipe
Tulsi Iced Tea

Fresh Tulsi Tea aka Holy Basil, will help you to find your inner peace and balance.

This tea assists you in centering your mind by keeping it clear and focused on your tasks ahead.

Get the instructions on how to make tulsi tea further below.

You can make tulsi tea with fresh leaves or dried leaves.

Also, choose to have the holy basil tea hot or as an iced tea!

Besides you can choose to make this tea by including more ingredients to prepare a detox tea, just the way I did here with the herbal tea mixture.

Fresh Tulsi Tea - Holy Basil

What is Tulsi?

You might have heard of Tulsi before. 

Tulsi is also called Holy Basil as is related to the common Italian Basil and the Thai Basil.

There are countless basil varieties in this world, holy basil/tulsi is just another one.

The Tulsi plant grows into a shrub which emits a refreshing aroma.

It’s supposed to keep mosquitoes away as well.

There are about 4 Tulsi varieties out there.

Each differs mostly from the looks, some being more green others more purple besides the obvious taste difference.

  • Rama Tulsi
  • Vana Tulsi
  • Krishna Tulsi
  • Shyam Tulsi

The most common Tulsi variation is Rama Tulsi, those are bright green (as seen in the pictures)

I bought a pack of seeds some few weeks ago with the name “Shyam Tulsi” on it.

I planted them and they have grown in size as you can see on my Instagram, but they are licorice in flavor and completely different in shape and color compared to the tulsi in this post.

Tulsi has been getting around in the world and these days you can buy and grow tulsi in any climate.

Tulsi plants love a lot of sunlight and water.

Fresh Tulsi Tea - Holy Basil

A friend, who usually comes at least once a year to visit me, was smitten by the vast amounts of green holy basil decorating our garden.

She was excited by the freshness and sweetness around her and she proclaimed with her spiritual knowledge, that the tulsi plants protect the surrounding and help the garden to stay pure.

She is not the only one harboring this belief.  

Tulsi is considered to be one of the holiest plants in India (where the plant originates) and makes a well known ayurvedic herbal plant.

Tulsi/Holy Basil health benefits

One thing is crystal clear, tulsi is a super healthy herb! 

When taken in as a tea, it can assist your health in different ways.

Tulsi helps you to relax and cope with stress, it soothes your being.

Tulsi promotes longevity due to the huge amount of included antioxidants in the plant

Tulsi lowers blood sugar levels and is so suitable for Diabetic Type 2 patients

Tulsi also decreases Cholesterol levels.

Fresh Tulsi Tea - Holy Basil

Tulsi leaves are known to harbor antibacterial properties and hence the Holy Basil has proofed to cure ailments such as…

  • common cold – clears excess mucus and helps in the healing process
  • stomachache – soothes indigestion and works as a natural painkiller
  • earaches – concentrated Tulsi juice may assist in the healing process
  • urinary infection – The slimy Tulsi seeds are known to soothe painful urination
  • Insect bites – Poultice of fresh leaves and roots reduces the itching and irritating swelling (especially when combined with neem oil)

Tulsi Herbal Tea

If you like herbal teas, then get a small Tulsi plant or Tulsi seeds to grow in a small pot at home.

I think you can grow the holy basil in an apartment too if you keep it somewhere near adequate sunlight.

It keeps the surrounding fresh and will lend your apartment a lovely sweet aroma.

You can use fresh or dried Tulsi leaves to make this tulsi tea.

You can add sugar too if you want.

Just cool that tea and store it in a fridge and you have an iced tea.

I use the same concept to prepare my fresh lemongrass tea or the mango iced tea.

Tulsi variations for you to try.

Just add these ingredients to the recipe below (in small doses!), mix and match yourself.

  • Ginger (energizes)
  • Licorice roots (great when you have a cold to boost immunity or help you breath)
  • White Tea (instead of green or black tea, has more antioxidants)
  • Chamomile flowers (relaxes your body and mind)
  • to your Chai milk blend (follow the chai recipe and just add the tulsi leaves)
  • Lemon/Lime Juice (Vitamin C)
  • Moringa leaves

Dear reader, have you ever tried Tulsi Tea before?

Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comment section further below!

PIN to save for later!

Fresh Tulsi Tea - Holy Basil
Italian seasoning spices

So you love SPICES and HERBS?


GET 5 FREE SEASONING LESSONS

Type in your email address below.

Including free access to the

Seasoning Members only Club!


SUCCESS!

Check your Inbox for the first email

Here are some more freebies

  • 🎟️ SEASONING CLUB FB Member Access
  • 📱 Recipes from around the World E-Book
  • 🌿Spice, Herb, Seasoning Cheat Sheet
  • 🍯 Printable Jam Labels
  • 🏞️No-Nonsense Travel Checklist
Tulsi Iced Tea

Tulsi Ice Tea Recipe

A refreshing and healthy Tulsi Tea (aka holy basil). You can use dried or fresh tulsi leaves. Eventually, you have the option of preparing variations of tulsi tea by adding other ingredients to the boiling process, such as fresh Ginger, White Tea, licorice root, chamomile flower buds, pepper mint among others.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: how to make tulsi iced tea, tulsi iced tea recipe
Cook Time: 5 minutes
cooling: 20 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

Ingredients

  • 5 cups Water
  • handful Fresh Tulsi Leaves or 1 1/2 Tablespoon dried flaked Tulsi leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon Black Tea Leaves or Green Tea leaves
  • Sugar or Honey, Stevia

Instructions

  • Add the Water to a Pot with the Tulsi leaves and the tea leaves.
  • Steep the herbs in water for 5-10 minutes.
  • Strain, sweeten, enjoy.
  • For Tulsi iced tea, let it cool. Serve with ice.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Tulsi Ice Tea Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 0
% Daily Value*
Sodium 31mg1%
Calcium 19mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Made this? Get featured!Mention @real.masalaherb or tag #masalaherb!

This post may contain affiliate links that point to things or services that I recommend. This may include Amazon, getyourguide and booking.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

208shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

about masalaherb
Get to know me & Paul…

MasalaHerb.com as seen on

Comments

  1. Judy says

    August 25, 2020 at 4:50 pm

    I grew HB for the first time this summer. Does it hurt the leaves for the plant to flower and bare seeds?

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      August 25, 2020 at 10:12 pm

      Hi Judy, the leaves don’t get less and they don’t get hurt when the plant gets flowers and seeds. However, the taller it grows the woodier it gets. It turns into a thick bush eventually with the greens turning into though branches. We used to always cut off the seeds because the branches turn woody faster otherwise.

      Reply
  2. Leo Tat says

    May 11, 2017 at 2:51 am

    To be honest, I have not heard of Tulsi before, but so many health benefits, I need to try this tea out. I just need to wait till the weather here in the UK gets warmer, then I can drink this with ice in the garden.

    Reply
  3. Charles says

    May 21, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    Hi Helene, I don’t think I’ve heard of tulsi before – yet another delightful sounding thing you’ve introduced me to! Could you make a pesto with it I wonder?

    Reply
  4. [email protected] says

    May 20, 2013 at 8:39 am

    I miss Tulsi here – it is of course the holiest plant we have, and we are often deeply connected to it in a spiritual way. Tulsi is excellent for allergies and I love drinking tea with the leaves.

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 20, 2013 at 3:24 pm

      yeah I missed it too in Europe. I wonder if it would survive the cold. I had forgotten to bring seeds to europe last year. Next time I ll take some to france instead of the austrian apls, they might have more chances to survive in the french climate.

      Reply
  5. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

    May 17, 2013 at 10:03 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve never tried Tulsi Ice Tea, so it was nice to learn something new! I love your drink shot – you successfully seduced readers to try this recipe with your gorgeous photos. 😉

    Reply
  6. Malli says

    May 17, 2013 at 2:22 pm

    I’ve heard so much about the nutritional value of Tulsi but never heard of Tulsi tea….sounds and looks so soothing!!

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 17, 2013 at 2:44 pm

      You need to give it a try then 😉

      Reply
  7. Gourmantine says

    May 17, 2013 at 2:19 pm

    5 stars
    Great post Helene, never tried Tulsi tea before, but would love to get my hands on some (even if it would be only dried variety).

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 17, 2013 at 2:26 pm

      Ah maybe that could be solved in the future. Let’s see what I can do, and in case I ll let you know. 😉

      Reply
  8. Kitchen Belleicious says

    May 17, 2013 at 2:21 pm

    i would love to try this! It looks so refreshing and beneficial

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 17, 2013 at 2:36 pm

      You should try to get a hand on it during summer, it’s really super refreshing.

      Reply
  9. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says

    May 17, 2013 at 2:20 pm

    What perfect timing, I’m just discovering Tulsi and all it’s benefits!

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 17, 2013 at 2:30 pm

      It’s a very useful herb and in fact its quite versatile. You could add it to a salad as well or how about a pesto? i am getting creative again ^.^

      Reply
  10. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says

    May 15, 2013 at 6:56 pm

    I can’t find the Indian tulsi here, but the dried version definitely beats any other summer beverage. Love your clicks!

    Reply
  11. Sandra’s Easy Cooking says

    May 15, 2013 at 6:53 pm

    I am drinking right now tea from dry basil, and I love the strong aroma. I do use basil one for culinary uses and leave under the lid for minute or two longer. I don’t know if I tried before Indian basil. Either way it’s very delicious and nutritional herb and tea. Great post and wonderful pictures!

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 15, 2013 at 7:22 pm

      Thank you Sandra. Oh and I so agree, the aroma is mesmerizing and so refreshing after a long day. =)

      Reply
  12. [email protected]’s Recipes says

    May 15, 2013 at 6:55 pm

    I have never heard of or had tulsi. Now I am totally intrigued.

    Reply
  13. mjskit says

    May 15, 2013 at 6:54 pm

    I’ve never heard of Tulsi. The way you describe it I know that I would love it. The plant doesn’t even look familiar. Probably too dry of a climate here. It sounds delicious and you just reminded me that I need to go make a pot of tea. Wish I had some Tulsi leaves!

    Reply
  14. Gomo | cHowDivine.com says

    May 15, 2013 at 6:52 pm

    I’ve never tried tulsi. I’ve had Thai holy basil many times in Thai cuisine, but I think it’s a different variety. I would love to try this tea. It looks so refreshing. Thanks for the informative post Helene!

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 15, 2013 at 7:22 pm

      I am not sure, the articles online are a bit confusing. it might be that the thai holy basil is the same as our tulsi after all. We ll only know if we compare them =)

      Reply
  15. kitchenriffs says

    May 15, 2013 at 6:51 pm

    I don’t believe I’ve ever had tulsi. Sound terrific! And when the weather is hot, iced tea is so refreshing. Perfect recipe – thanks.

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 15, 2013 at 7:23 pm

      You ought to try it out, I am so sure you would enjoy it John.

      Reply
  16. CCU says

    May 15, 2013 at 6:49 pm

    Tulsi reminds me of Tulsi Das, the great Indian poet
    I would love to make this ice tea, sounds delicious!
    Cheers
    CCU

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 15, 2013 at 7:25 pm

      lol you are cute. hey, I d make you some if you come over.

      Reply
  17. Eha says

    May 15, 2013 at 6:48 pm

    This is great – I know we can easily get dried tulsi leaves here in Australia, yet I have never tried the tea! As I hugely believe in natural therapies and have to admit to quite a few of the ‘ailments’ enumerated, this will be bought and tried soonest. Thank you, Helene !

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 15, 2013 at 7:25 pm

      Oh yes you get that in Australia? Let me know how you liked it after your first tea try.

      Reply
  18. Nancy/SpicieFoodie says

    May 15, 2013 at 6:47 pm

    I have never tried tulsi tea but from your description it sounds like one I would love. Also wouldn’t mind having a plant to grow — to bad I kill all my plants, lol. Thanks for sharing Helene.:)

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 15, 2013 at 7:25 pm

      lol you kind of sound like me. At least now I am getting better with the planting story. ^.^ Maybe I can get you some seeds one day, tulsi isn’t that complicated to grow otherwise. The seeds pick up quickly and as long as there is no frost they grow fine.

      Reply
  19. dassana says

    May 15, 2013 at 6:46 pm

    i love tulsi tea. i make it like the way you have made and have it chilled. i have read as per kirlian photography, the tulsi and neem plants have a very large aura (don’t remember how many sq metres in area) which purifies the whole surrounding near them. they also give ozone. btw even no insects or mosquitoes come near neem trees.

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      May 15, 2013 at 7:25 pm

      Their Aura is very pure too, completely white without other energies. yeah I remember reading this in an old book about India, many years back. But at that time I had no clue what tulsi was. We have a neem tree too and one is standing in the neighboring compound, exactly from where all the mosquitoes are streaming in. So that’s why I don’t think that they actually repel mosquitoes. At least here the buggers are really strong.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Categories

Home
About
As seen in
Work with me
Contact
Free Newsletter
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies.

Masala Herb is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress