CARDAMOM!

A necessity for chai, cardamom pairs well with sweets and spiced milk. I keep both the green pods and the powder around, depending on whether I’m cooking with it or making teas. This spice has a broad range of healing actions and it is used in many preparations.

Botanical name: Ellettaria cardamomum

Parts used: seeds

Rasa: sweet, slightly pungent

Virya: cooling

Vipaka: pungent

Qualities:

Actions: increases agni, improves digestion, anti-inflammatory, aphrodisiac, expectorant, relieves nausea

Tip: for nausea or bad breath chew on a pod after meals.