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.