Ayurvedic "Mulled Wine"

Three things give a Christmas feeling immediately: cinnamon, cloves and oranges. Combined, their smell is divine. That’s why they can’t be missed in mulled wine.

Let me be honest, you can even trick your guests into loving this Christmas punch / mulled wine, although it doesn’t even contain any wine or other alcohol. It’s an alcohol-free warming beverage. I served it to my father and sister and they thought it contained alcohol – it is really a game changer!

Plus, it is sweet, but doesn’t contain any refined sugar. It is sweetened with red grape juice only.

Why grape juice should be included into your diet when it’s seasonal is very clear from an Ayurvedic perspective. Grapes nourish our dhatus (tissues), especially our plasma (rasa) and blood (rakta). Grape juice is refreshing, rejuvenate, and nourish especially females during their menstruation. It is an excellent tonic during menses, pregnancy, postpartum, and while breastfeeding a little one.

Grape juice generally is amazing, as it will drive the medicine of the spices into the deeper tissues. It furthermore can soothe anger, give energy, and warmth, enhances digestive power, while lubricating you from the inside out, aids your skin, and may even help to relieve migraines.

Cinnamon, ginger and cloves have wonderful properties as well. They are all boosting our digestive fire (jatharagni), and cloves are well known for their antioxidants.

INGEDIENTS

-       2 cinnamon sticks

-       10 cardamom pods

-       8 cloves

-       1 tbsp grated ginger

-       2 tea bags Rooibos or 1 tbsp Rooibos loose leaf

-       1,5 l red grape juice

-       2 oranges sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash the oranges properly and cut them in thin slices.

Grate the ginger and open the cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle.

Add the spices into a big pot, along with the juice, Rooibos tea and sliced oranges.

Let it simmer on low heat for 20 minutes and put it through a sieve before serving. Don’t overcook it, as it can become bitter.

If it’s too sweet for you, you can add plain water or ginger tea to dilute it a bit more.

Enjoy with your favorite people!

With love,

Lisa