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If you have ever wondered how to make lemongrass tea that tastes like the one at your favourite chai stall, the answer lies in getting the ratio of fresh lemongrass, whole spices and a good CTC blend right. With the monsoon rains lashing Ahmedabad and most of India right now, this is exactly the season to master this comforting cup.
Lemongrass chai isn’t just about flavour. It brings a citrusy lift to the deep malty base of Assam tea, and it pairs beautifully with the cozy, rainy-day mood of August. This guide shows you the exact steps, ingredient list and small techniques that make the difference between a flat cup and a genuinely aromatic one.
We will also show you how Fresh n Flavour has already solved this blending puzzle for you, so on days when you don’t want to measure five ingredients, you can still get that same balanced cup in under five minutes.
How to Make Lemongrass Tea at Home?
To make lemongrass tea at home, boil crushed fresh lemongrass stalks in water for 2 minutes, add CTC tea leaves, simmer with milk, then finish with crushed cardamom and your sweetener of choice. Strain well before serving hot.
The full process takes under ten minutes and needs no special equipment beyond a pan, a strainer and a stove. Below is the exact method we recommend, refined over repeated home tests.
Ingredients for 2 Cups
- 1.5 cups water
- 2-3 fresh lemongrass stalks (crushed) or 1 tsp dried Lemongrass
- 2 teaspoons CTC chai leaves, ideally a lemongrass-forward blend like Flavourful Chai
- 0.5 cup milk
- 1 green Cardamom pod, crushed
- Sugar or jaggery to taste
Step-by-Step Method
Start by crushing the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife to release their oils. Boil them in water for a full 2 minutes before adding anything else — this step is often skipped and it’s why homemade lemongrass tea can taste weak.
Add your CTC tea leaves next and let the water darken. Then pour in the milk, simmer gently, and finish with crushed cardamom and sweetener. Strain twice if you want a completely clear, fibre-free cup.
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Shop now →What Ingredients Do You Need?
You need water, fresh or dried lemongrass, a CTC black tea base, milk, green cardamom and a sweetener. Each ingredient plays a specific role — lemongrass for citrus aroma, CTC for the malty backbone, and cardamom for warmth.
Fresh Lemongrass vs Store-Bought Dried
Fresh lemongrass stalks give the brightest aroma but aren’t always available outside metro cities. Dried, pre-cut lemongrass blended directly into chai leaves — like in Fresh n Flavour’s Flavourful Chai — solves this by locking in the oils at the time of processing.
This is genuinely useful during monsoon, when fresh produce can be inconsistent due to rain-affected supply chains. A pre-blended chai patti means the lemongrass ratio is already tested and consistent, cup after cup.
Why the Tea Base Matters
Not every black tea holds up against citrus and mint. Assam CTC Tea has enough body and tannin strength to stand up to lemongrass without turning watery, which is why it’s the base of choice across most Fresh n Flavour blends.
Dooars CTC, used in Flavourful Chai alongside Assam CTC, adds a slightly brisker, more robust character that complements lemongrass and spearmint particularly well.
Why Lemongrass Works So Well in Monsoon Chai
Lemongrass is traditionally valued in Ayurveda for digestive comfort and immune support, making it a natural fit for the monsoon season when colds and sluggish digestion are common. Its citrus aroma also cuts through the heaviness of milk tea.
According to the botanical classification of Cymbopogon on Wikipedia, lemongrass belongs to a grass family rich in citral oils, which explains its strong lemony fragrance even in small quantities.
A Traditional Pairing, Not a New Trend
Spice blending in Indian kitchens has always been about balance, not just flavour stacking. Grinding and mixing whole spices into tea was documented as a careful, deliberate process even in the 19th century (as noted in The Indian Cookery Book, 1880), long before “wellness chai” became a marketing term.
Lemongrass followed a similar path — used in home kitchens for its aroma and digestive comfort long before it became a café trend. Fresh n Flavour’s approach simply modernises this old logic with consistent, hand-blended ratios.
Good for Rainy-Day Immunity Routines
During continuous monsoon rain, many households lean on ginger and lemongrass chai as a comforting ritual rather than a medical remedy. It’s warm, aromatic, and pairs naturally with the cozy indoor mood this season brings.
If you want an extra layer of comfort on particularly wet days, adding a small piece of crushed Ginger to your lemongrass tea is a classic monsoon addition many Indian households already follow.
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Shop now →CTC vs Fresh Lemongrass Stalks: Which Should You Use?
Fresh lemongrass stalks give a sharper, brighter citrus note but require prep time and aren’t shelf-stable. A pre-blended CTC chai with dried lemongrass, like Flavourful Chai, offers convenience and consistency without sacrificing much aroma.
| Factor | Fresh Lemongrass Stalks | Flavourful Chai (Pre-Blended) |
|---|---|---|
| Prep time | 5-7 minutes crushing and boiling | Under 3 minutes, just boil and strain |
| Consistency | Varies by stalk freshness | Same aroma ratio every single time |
| Shelf life | 3-5 days refrigerated | Many months, stored airtight |
| Best for | Weekend, slow-brewed chai | Daily monsoon mornings, busy routines |
| Acidity on empty stomach | Depends on brewing skill | Balanced by added cardamom, mint, nutmeg |
Why Flavourful Chai Is Built for This Exact Recipe
Fresh n Flavour’s Flavourful Chai combines Assam CTC and Dooars CTC with lemongrass, Spearmint, green cardamom and nutmeg in one hand-blended mix. You’re essentially skipping the ingredient-hunting step entirely.
This combination isn’t random — the lemongrass and mint together are specifically balanced with cardamom and nutmeg to soften the acidity that plain milk tea can sometimes have, giving you a smoother cup even on an empty monsoon morning.
When Fresh Stalks Still Make Sense
If you’re growing lemongrass at home or have a garden patch that thrives in the rain, fresh stalks are wonderful for a slow, weekend brewing ritual where you have time to experiment with quantity and steeping time.
For everyday mornings before office or school runs, though, a pre-measured blend removes the guesswork and gives a repeatable cup every single time.
Which Chai Should You Pick?
If you want the classic lemongrass-forward cup this guide describes, go with Flavourful Chai — it’s built around lemongrass, mint and cardamom exactly as used here. If you prefer a gentler citrus note with Darjeeling notes, try Delightful Chai instead.
If you’re making chai for guests during Raksha Bandhan or Janmashtami gatherings this month, Flavourful Chai’s bold, aromatic character holds up well even when served in bulk from a large pot.
When This Recipe Isn’t the Right Fit
If you strongly dislike mint or citrus notes in your chai, this lemongrass-forward approach may not suit your palate — a plainer Strong and Tasteful blend without added herbs would be a better starting point.
Similarly, if you’re serving young children who prefer a milder cup, dilute the lemongrass quantity or skip it altogether and rely on cardamom alone for aroma.
Whichever direction you choose, learning how to make lemongrass tea properly at home means you’ll always have a comforting, aromatic cup ready for these long monsoon evenings — Fresh n Flavour‘s promise really is to help you enjoy goodness in every sip.
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Delightful Chai
Delightful Chai Patti Online — Delightful blends Assam CTC with Darjeeling Second Flush, lemongrass & botanicals. The best…
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