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The summer heat can be killing. And, if you’re living in a part of India where the climes are cooler (the lucky few who get to camp out in Uttarakhand or the tea estates of the East and South), you may want something a little warm before bed. 

The thing is, an immunity juice from a juice bar or health cafee can be pretty expensive  - and you can’t really control what goes into it. But, you can make a really good immunity booster drink at home, with easily available local ingredients. 

Here’s a collection of healthy drink recipes - (drinks to boost immune system, immune booster drinks, call them what you like,) that will quench your thirst while supplying your system with immune-boosting nutrient.

Top 7 Immunity Boosting Drinks

1. Masala Chai Recipe

2. Kanji Recipe

3. Ragi Ambali Recipe

4. Rose Goat Milk With Sabja Recipe 

5. Ajwain Gud Kadha Recipe

6. Mulethi Saunf Kadha Recipe

7. Turmeric Milk or Haldhi Doodh Recipe  

1: Masala Chai Recipe

If you’re looking for a single immune booster drink recipe that’s easy to source and prepare, this is probably it. For most Indians, any time is a good time to drink chai, and masala chai not only peps you up with a welcome blend of flavours, it’s also good for immunity. 

Research has shown that black tea’s phenolic commends and tannins have the ability to inhibit some kinds of bacteria and also possess potent antioxidant powers. Adding ginger and tulsi helps in fighting flu and infections and suppresses nausea. 

Cardamom and clove inhibit oral microbes and toothache. For the perfect cup, brew your tea at a near-boiling point for a couple of minutes and have not more than 3 cups a day. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp crushed ginger 
• 1 tbsp back tea leaves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 3-4 tulsi leaves
• 3 whole black peppercorns
  

Method:

1. Boil water, add crushed cardamom, ginger and tulsi leaves.
2. Add black tea and keep boiling for 2 minutes. Add milk and reduce heat. Simmer until the flavours have melded, for about 10 minutes. 
3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a mug and enjoy! 

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2: Kanji Recipe 

Move over kombucha - say hello to kanji! We don’t need to look to the Orient to get our fizzy fix this summer - you can make your own cooling and immunity-boosting fermented drink at home using beetroot and carrots. 

The probiotics in kanji help boost the immune system and have shown to increase the production of naturally-occurring antibodies. It also helps to ward off respiratory infections. It also happens to be vegan, making it ideal for those who are lactose intolerant or don’t like milk and curd. 

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coarse-ground mustard seeds
• 4-5 peeled and chopped carrots
• 1 large peeled and chopped beetroot
• 6-7 cups filtered water (or enough to cover the vegetables)
• 1 tbsp salt (according to taste)
  

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar and cover it with a lid or cheesecloth.
2. Let the jar sit in a sunny spot for at least one week—stirring with a wooden spoon daily.
3. Once the kanji develops a tangy flavour, it means the drink has fermented. 
4. Strain and put the drink in the refrigerator to chill before enjoying.

3: Ragi Ambali Recipe

Millets are becoming trendy again. And why not? They are a great source of protein and fibre, and keep you feeling full for long. Ragi ambali is a combination of ragi powder and buttermilk. 

This blend of whey protein (from the buttermilk) and quercetin from the ragi promotes strength, fights infection and has anti-ageing properties. Quercetin also boosts antioxidant effects within the body. 

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp ragi or finger millet flour
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup curd
• Salt to taste
  

Method

1. Mix 3-4 tsp of ragi malted flour with some water, so as to make a paste.
2. Boil a cup of water and add a pinch of salt to it.
3. Add the ragi paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Once it cools down, add the curd.

4: Rose Goat Milk With Sabja Recipe 

Goat’s milk is becoming more popular these days as it is easier to digest for both adults and children. Plus, it’s rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, which play a vital role in brain development and immunity-building in kids. It is also anti-inflammatory and helps cool the digestive tract. 

Goat milk is a great replacement for those who are allergic to cow’s milk and are looking for a nutrient-rich, easy-on-the-gut bone strengthener.  Sabja seeds have a cooling effect on the body and are a great addition, especially as we are experiencing a hot summer. 

Ingredients

• 250 ml goat milk
• 1 tsp dried rose petals
• 2 tsp sabja seeds
  

Method

1. Soak sabja seeds for 2-3 hours until they have a gel-like consistency.
2. Add chilled goat milk and dried rose petals, then mix properly.
3. Serve chilled.

5: Ajwain Gud Kadha Recipe 

A kadha can be described as a tonic or Ayurvedic drink, made by boiling herbs, roots and spices in water to extract their benefits. 

Ajwain gud kadha is considered to be a potent fungicide and germicide. Ajwain or carom seed has an essential oil called thymol, which acts as a fungicide, It is also an active decongestant, and control histamine release in the case of cough, cold and asthma. 

It also helps women with bloating and pain during the pre-menstrual phase. Jaggery contains minerals and is a much better options compared to white sugar. 

Ingredients

• 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1 tsp gud (jaggery)
• 1½ cup water 
  

Method

1. In a pan, boil ajwain, gud and water together. 
2. Strain and serve hot.

6: Mulethi Saunf Kadha Recipe 

This particular kadha is great for the respiratory system. It soothes a sore throat and cough, and is a natural vasodilator that helps improve blood flow and oxygenation throughout the body. 

Mulethi has antioxidant effects, helping the body produce lymphocytes and macrophages which protect the body from microbes.

It also prevents pollutants, allergens and cells that cause autoimmune diseases and keeps you away from infections and allergies by boosting your immunity. 

Fennel contains vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. It plays the role of a vasodilator, increasing oxygenated blood flow to the brain and other parts of the body. 

Ingredients

• 2 inches mulethi stick
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 1⁄2 cup water
  

Method

• Boil mulethi stick and fennel seeds in water for 10-15 minutes. Drink warm.

7: Turmeric Milk or Haldhi Doodh Recipe 

We couldn’t leave you without our recipe for the original cure-all, turmeric milk or haldhi doodh. Turmeric has a whole host of benefits, and can help build immunity and provide relief from cold, cough and sore throat. 

It can also reduce hay fever symptoms such as sneezing, itching, runny nose and congestion exhibiting antibacterial activity. Definitely one of the best immunity booster drinks out there!

What is important to note is that the body does not absorb the superpowers of turmeric easily on its own (the active ingredients curcumin and theracurmin), so the turmeric must be combined with a fat of some sort (milk, in this case) and black pepper. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 one-inch piece turmeric, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 whole black peppercorns
  

Method:

1. Whisk the milk, turmeric, peppercorns and 50 ml water in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil
2. Reduce heat and simmer until the favours have melded, for about 10 minutes. 
3. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a mug and enjoy!

50 Desi Super Drinks: Immunity Booster Drinks & Healing Tonics 

If you’re looking for more delicious immunity booster drink recipes, then get your hands on the book 50 Desi Super drinks by celebrity nutritionist Lovneet Batra. 

A guide that helps you heal naturally with immunity booster drinks and health tonics, the book helps you heal yourself naturally with Indian superfoods. Each chapter is dedicated to a drink, with nutritional information and an accompanying recipe. 

The chapters break down the origins of each drink, the ingredients that go into it and how you benefit. And the recipes are all easy to make - no impressive kitchen skills required! 

From fermented drinks like kanji to tart rasam; from bamboo shoot and lotus stem sherbet to anti-ageing ragi ambali, there are drinks from all over India with miraculous properties.

And, of course, a recipe for the always-welcome nourishing haldi doodh, the original immunity booster drink! 

Related Lovneet Batra's Instagram Video:

You can purchase the book on Amazon India.

For more information about Lovneet and her practice, Nutrition By Lovneet, visit the website. 

For consultation enquiries, write to us at lb@nutritionbylovneet.com 

FAQs

Which drink is best for immunity?

There are several drinks that are great immunity boosters - turmeric milk, fermented carrot-beetroot kanji, ragi ambali and more. 

What is an immunity booster drink?

An immunity booster drink is a concoction that helps boost your immune system from within. It is usually made using a combination of natural immunity-boosting herbs, spices, roots and leaves. These can be boiled and strained or fermented to better bring out their immune-boosting properties. 

Which immunity booster is best?

There is no clear answer to this - you can choose an immunity booster drink based on what works best for you, and what is easily available to you. In India, turmeric milk is a great option since turmeric is easily available.

Turmeric has a range of benefits, and can help build immunity and provide relief from cold, cough and sore throat.  It can also reduce hay fever symptoms such as sneezing, itching, runny nose and congestion exhibiting antibacterial activity.

And, if you are lactose intolerant or don’t like milk, you can always make it using plant-based milk like coconut, almond or cashew milk. You must combine the turmeric with pepper and some kind of fat (milk) for best absorption. 

How can I boost my immune system fast?

You can boost your immune system by consistently consuming a good immunity-boosting drink like turmeric milk, kanji, ajwain did kadha, mulethi saunf kadha, ragi ambali, etc. 

Which juice is good for immunity?

Citrus juices, tomato juice, beet-carrot-ginger juices are good immunity booster drinks. 

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