This will make your house smell like Christmas. Enjoy a warm, boozy and aromatic addition to this holiday.

Lassi originated in the Punjab region of India some 3,000 years ago. This cooling yogurt drink endures as a spring and summer staple — a familiar sound in the warm streets of Delhi is the rhythmic juggling of liquid and ice from one lota (spherical vessel) to another!

The weather in Houston has been cool, cloudy and crying out for a warm comforting luxurious drink. It’s Christmas season so what better than hot chocolate?

Here is a gently spiced lemonade to welcome a Texas spring, it’s only lightly sweetened, adjust and spike as needed.

This is a simple spice infusion — one that we hope inspires you to create many more of your own!

Roselle pods, with their brilliant red color, have many applications. With summer’s end in sight, a cooling roselle brew infused with ginger, black peppercorns, and basil leaves can hit the spot.

Use it as a base for a cocktail by adding your favorite spirit.

At times of uncertainty, I believe in arming myself with immune-boosting foods such as turmeric, saffron, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and cinnamon. These spices, along with herbs including rosemary and oregano, strengthen the body’s resolve to fight infections and can easily be included in daily cooking.

With its gorgeous hue and strong acidic taste, rhubarb can transform into a chutney, pie filling or syrup — especially when paired with aromatics such as ginger and rose water.

The only work here is in making the pomegranate syrup. Once you’ve made the syrup, the rest of the drink is easy.

Punch is a Sanskrit word meaning ”five”, for five ingredients. Originally a punch consisted of alcohol, sugar, lemon, water, tea or spices. The drink made its way to England from India by employees of the British East India Company at the beginning of the 17th century.

Moscow Mule with turmeric and home made ginger soda.

This lassi is more of a dessert than a drink with a meal, the ground cardamom really enhances the sweetness of the mango.

I’m slowly discovering the multiple uses of this plant. Lemonade is just one way to use the pods, however you could use them in a reduction for a sauce, put the slightly tart leaves in a salad or sauté, or pickle them like the South Indians do.

Inspired by the Mexican papaya con leche, and swapping out sugar for maple syrup, it’s barely sweet with a very smooth finish and allows the flavors of the papaya to come through.

Borhani can be made with whole milk or non-fat yogurt and is best with yogurt that is slightly aged and sour.

Here is the recipe for the masala chai we have been making for over a dozen years at Pondicheri, using our hand-ground Chai Masala – it is hands down our most popular hot beverage and despite traipsing India several times every year, we’ve never tasted a better chai.

My personal favorite is pairing red wine with sliced local Satsuma oranges, ginger, cardamom and rosemary. Sometimes I will throw in black pepper or cinnamon.

This simple watermelon drink is a great way to stay hydrated — the basil adds a haunting fragrance and the salt and chile balance the flavors.

Lassi is a traditional spiced yogurt drink from India prepared in homes and sold in street stalls. The most basic ones are the sweet lassi with sugar and ground cardamom and the salty lassi with cumin and salt.

This is our idea of a simple home chai. No brewing or cooking, just straight out of a kettle.

This is an afternoon tea staple in India. Nothing can make a kitchen smell warm and delicious like fresh pot of chai can.

Shikanji is simply a concoction of lime, cumin, ginger, and salt with variations like mint, basil, or saffron. It’s versatile, refreshing, hydrates the body by replenishing its minerals and vitamins, and helps with digestion.

Chai can be made with any sort of milk, from cow’s milk to almond or oat. It’s all based on your preference.

“Tastes like fall in a cup”, a direct quote from our staff and friends at Pondicheri who were here during this smoothie's testing! The fresh turmeric is an anti-inflammatory while the soaked almonds are easier to digest than raw almonds (and makes it easier to peel the skins off!).

Moringa is our favorite superfood. It’s a little tough to find fresh leaves, but you can replace the leaves with 1 tsp of powdered moringa.

Masala chai is the quintessential fragrant milky brew of India; I wake up with it every morning. Cashews coated in spices with mint and pomegranate seeds are a simple yet luxurious rendition of chaats, the beloved street foods of India. All in all, it’s a delicious pairing.

Spice teas or brews with no caffeine are a wonderful way to heal from small illnesses like a throat ache or belly ache.

A spice infusion. Get creative with spices, fruits, roots, and more to make a tisane (because there are actually no tea leaves in here!) of your own creation.

On a plane in India this is the first thing the airline crew will offer you. Indians love their ‘sweet lime soda’ as it is typically referred to.

Smoky Mezcal Negroni — a spin on a classic!

A floral gin sour that is not only refreshing, but incredibly simple to make at home!

Starting the day right is paramount to balancing the daily cycle — that means a tea that lights a warm, cleansing sensation. Making teas with a combination of herbs, roots and spices opens up a world of possibilities.

This syrup also known as sherbat in India, will keep in your refrigerator for months.

Kahwa or qahwa, is a green tea native to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Enjoy it chilled then steep, strain, refrigerate and serve over ice. Honey works well as a sweetener.

Pomegranate martini - ruby rich and delicious!

The lush lassi, essentially a coconut milk based mango lassi spiked with rum is one of my personal favorite drinks at Pondicheri.

It’s light, deeply flavorful and the saffron cools the back of your throat as it goes down. If you prefer not to have alcohol, add lemon juice, and turn it into a lemonade!