Winter Warming Chai Recipe
A truly authentic Indian Chai tea recipe, rich and milky, deeply coloured, steaming hot, flavourful and sweet. Enjoy this homemade masala chai from scratch with warming spices like whole cinnamon.
INGREDIENTS
5–7 green cardamom pods
3–4 whole cloves
1–2 star anise (optional )
5–7 peppercorns (optional)
250 ml of water
2–3 slices ginger (or more! skins ok)
1/2 cinnamon stick– split lengthwise ( use your fingers to separate)
1–2 tablespoons loose leaf black tea, (or 1–2 tea bags) Or sub decaf black tea
250 ml milk of your choice- organic whole milk, almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, hemp milk ( I like unsweetened, vanilla-flavored almond or oat milk) See notes for “ratio”
2–3 teaspoons (or more or less) maple syrup, honey, sugar or alternative
INSTRUCTIONS
Lightly crush cardamom pods, whole cloves, star anise and peppercorns, and place in a small pot with 1 cup of water. Add ginger and cinnamon. Muddle the ginger a bit right in the pot.
Bring to a simmer, simmer gently for 5-10 minutes covered, and turn off the heat.
Add the tea (Do not boil the tea, it can get bitter) and let it steep for at least 5-minutes.
Add your choice of milk. Bring to a simmer once more, turn off the heat.
Stir in your choice of sweetener, taste, adding more sweetener to taste. If it tastes bitter, you need more sweetener. Strain into a chai glass or mug.
Smile and feel the warmth
