Remedy

Pudina & Saunf Tea

A fragrant mint and fennel infusion, taken after lunch in the way the spice bowl at the door of a restaurant is taken.

Helps with

By PranaJiva

Editorial Team

Form
Tea or drink
Preparation
8 minutes
Makes
2 cups
Best time
After food, Afternoon
Suits
Pitta
Pudina & Saunf Tea

What you need

  • 2 cups Water
  • 10–12 Fresh mint leaves (pudina) (rinsed, torn by hand)
  • 1 tsp Whole fennel seeds (saunf) (lightly crushed)
  • ½ tsp per cup Jaggery (stirred in while warm, optional)

How to make it

  1. Crush the fennel seeds lightly.

    1 minute

  2. Bring the water to a boil, add the fennel and let it simmer.

    3 minutes

  3. Switch off the heat, tear in the mint leaves, cover and leave to steep. The mint must not boil.

    3 minutes

  4. Strain, add the jaggery if you are using it, and serve.

    1 minute

How much, and how often

One cup when you want it, preferably after food. It is a herbal drink, not a cure for indigestion, and it does not need to be taken to a schedule.

Best taken: After food, Afternoon

When to expect a change: The mint is apparent straight away. Whether it settles anything is individual and not something to count on.

Why it works

Why the mint goes in last

Fennel is the half of this with the long after-meal history behind it — it is the saunf in the bowl by the door, and the reason it is there at all. Mint is the fresher, cooler note on top, and in Ayurvedic terms it is the cooling element in what would otherwise be a sweet, warm cup.

Mint is also the ingredient that is easiest to ruin. Its aromatic oils are volatile and they leave with the steam, so mint that is boiled gives you a bitter, grassy tea and very little scent. Tear the leaves rather than chopping them, add them once the pan is off the flame, and keep it covered while it steeps.

Before you try this

Do not use if

  • You are allergic to mint or to fennel

Take care

  • Mint relaxes the valve at the top of the stomach and makes acid reflux worse for some people. If heartburn increases, this is the wrong drink for you.
  • Boiling the mint turns it bitter and loses most of what you added it for. It goes in off the heat.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding & children
Using mint and fennel in cooking is not the same as a strong infusion of them. Ask a doctor before taking this regularly in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or giving it to a child.
How long is too long
An occasional drink. Reflux, vomiting or digestive symptoms that persist should be looked at by a clinician.

This is traditional Ayurvedic guidance shared for general wellbeing. It is not a diagnosis and not a substitute for medical advice. If a symptom is severe, persistent or worsening, or you are pregnant, taking prescribed medicine or managing a diagnosed condition, speak to a qualified doctor before trying it.

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