Chai Tea From Scratch - cooking recipe

Ingredients
    2 cups filtered water
    1 cinnamon stick
    1/2 teaspoon minced cardamom pod, slightly crushed
    1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
    3 whole cloves
    1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
    1 inch piece vanilla pod, split open lengthwise
    2 star anise
    3 -4 saffron threads
    1/4 teaspoon anise seed
    1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
    1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
    2 tablespoons loose black tea leaves (read *NOTE) or 2 tea bags (read *NOTE)
    2 cups milk (soy milk is good, too) or 2 cups rice milk (soy milk is good, too)
    honey, for sweetening, to taste (I prefer honey to sweeten my chai but I also like cane sugar-aka Sucanat)
Preparation
    *NOTE: Any number of black tea varieties can be used in this recipe: Ceylon Orange Pekoe, Darjeeling, English Breakfast, Earl Grey, etc. You'll have to try several types of tea to find out which you prefer.
    Pour the water into a heavy bottomed pan. Add the spices and tea bags (or loose tea placed in a tea infuser or muslin cloth).
    Bring to a boil, partially cover pan and simmer about 20 minutes to allow spices to intensify.
    Add the milk or milk substitute and heat through WITHOUT boiling until hot.
    Pour chai tea through a strainer into tea cups. Add sweetener of choice if desired.
    Sit, sip, close your eyes, relax, enjoy!
    Servings are estimated.

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