Krishna Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) — the dark-leafed variety with a peppery, clove-like aroma and higher eugenol content than Ram Tulsi. Krishna Tulsi is considered pharmacologically more active and is the traditional choice for kadha.

½ to 1 tsp in warm water every morning is the standard daily habit. Tulsi has been used daily in Indian homes for centuries. There are no known issues with long-term daily use at food amounts.

Some volatile oils are lost in drying — that's unavoidable. But the key medicinal compounds (ursolic acid, eugenol, rosmarinic acid) are heat-stable and fully present in the powder. The smell is milder. The function is not.

Tulsi in small food amounts is generally safe. Avoid high doses (medicinal kadha quantities) during the first trimester. Consult your doctor before use.

½ tsp stirred into dal at the end, mixed into chapati atta, or added to curd — all work well. Tulsi powder does not overpower food flavour at these amounts. If drinking feels inconvenient, cooking is a perfectly valid daily habit. The medicinal compounds survive light cooking.

Drops and extracts concentrate specific compounds but lose the whole-leaf synergy. Whole leaf powder gives you the full compound profile in food amounts — appropriate for daily long-term use. Extracts are better for acute therapeutic use. For daily kitchen use, the whole leaf is more suitable and lower risk.