One of our favorite hot drinks around here is my Chai tea. Manisha, a friend from Bombay pointed out that “Chai" just means tea. So Masala just tells you what kind of tea you’re preparing. 😉
A pot of boiling Masala Chai spices brings most of our family members into the kitchen. "Do I smell Chai cooking?" is the query most often heard or "how long until the Chai is ready?" It's ready when it's ready. Kind of like learning and development.
Soooo....thought some readers might need a creamy, spicy, good-to-your-toes, warming-the-soul kind of drink for this winter. Great for taking with you into meditation areas, for book reading or creating art, but we enjoy it most often clustered around the table with good conversation.
Gather your ingredients:
5 cups water
5 cups milk of choice (dairy is traditional and we use whole milk)
2 heaping Tbs whole Cardamon (green pods are best)
5 cups water
5 cups milk of choice (dairy is traditional and we use whole milk)
2 heaping Tbs whole Cardamon (green pods are best)
2 tsp. whole cloves
7-8 medallions fresh ginger
4-6 cinnamon sticks
4-6 whole allspice
7-8 medallions fresh ginger
4-6 cinnamon sticks
4-6 whole allspice
7-8 peppercorns
2 Tbs. Loose black tea (English breakfast or something similar)
1/2 cup raw sugar (adjust to taste, or allow each person to add their own sweetener)
Place water and all spices on hot stove in large sauce pan, bring to boil. Cover and lower heat to gently simmer for 20 minutes. Add the black tea and low simmer 5 minutes with the lid on. Add the milk and sugar, then simmer 5 more minutes.
Strain and serve with good humor, warmth and willingness to converse.
Enjoy! I can smell the spices now........
Oh, and now that you have the official recipe, you are expected to serve a pot when good friends come to visit. Yep, even if you live in the hot South.;)
2 Tbs. Loose black tea (English breakfast or something similar)
1/2 cup raw sugar (adjust to taste, or allow each person to add their own sweetener)
Place water and all spices on hot stove in large sauce pan, bring to boil. Cover and lower heat to gently simmer for 20 minutes. Add the black tea and low simmer 5 minutes with the lid on. Add the milk and sugar, then simmer 5 more minutes.
Strain and serve with good humor, warmth and willingness to converse.
Enjoy! I can smell the spices now........
Oh, and now that you have the official recipe, you are expected to serve a pot when good friends come to visit. Yep, even if you live in the hot South.;)
8 comments:
Ren: Tonight Fiona and I tried your chai recipe -- it is awesome! We think this will become our wintertime drink. We vision coming in from the snow and drinking some chai. The cinnamon is soooo warming! We even were able to find the green cardamon.
Thanks for posting!
Linda and Fiona
I always assumed chai had to include tea, and I have to limit how much tea I consume so I don't drink chai anymore. But this sounds really yummy and I like that the tea is optional. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Glenda
(from the Shine and Imag. Tribe lists)
Oh, I haven't made chai in ages. Drat, we moved away from the Bay tree. Thanks for the reminder.
Schuyler
I'm glad you're all enjoying Chai...it's a ritual around here that is deeply embedded into family life.
There's a quote I love: "Tea is a cup of life" and another one by Thich Nhat Han "Drink your tea reverantly, as though it is the axis on which the earth turns"
Thanks for the recipe Ren. We all love Chai and today is a perfect day for a new recipe.
I'm so glad you posted this! I just read Gail's status and thought, "I need to message Ren for her recipe." And now I've got it! You're the best.
I've never made Chai! And this looks like the perfect recipe to change that.
Loading it into my phone.... ;)
Thanks, Ren!
I should add that I usually ise raw sugar for this recipe....a variety of sweeteners works well. And fresh ginger is often preferable to the dry, the dry is just convenient. I use about 4-5 slices of fresh if it is available.
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