RECIPE: Warm Spiced Chai

 

My husband and I have been working on the perfect chai recipe. This is a non-dairy version that is creamy and mild. We love it!

Also, it's the best beverage for a cold day. A Hygge selection. Making this tea, crushing the spices, releasing the aroma, is a very comforting ritual.

INGREDIENTS

1 pinch fennel seeds

About 15 cardamom pods

4 peppercorns

3 allspice

3 coriander seeds

A sprinkle of nutmeg

2 pieces cinnamon stick

Fresh ginger, 2 thin slices, lightly mashed

2 t. loose black tea (or less)

2-3 t. sugar, to taste

1-2 cups milk (best choice is unsweetened almond milk)

Mortar and pestle

Tea pot with strainer

DIRECTIONS

Assemble all spices. 

Put fennel seeds, cardamom pods, allspice, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds and nutmeg in mortar and pestle. Grind them up.

Put mashed ginger and milk into a pot on the stove. Gently heat on medium-medium high. Do not boil. Add the spices. Stir. Heat this slowly and let the spices infuse the milk for about five minutes.

In the meantime, put sugar into the bottom of the tea pot under strainer.

When the milk is hot enough, add loose tea to the simmering pot on the stove.

Simmer for a few minutes. Allow the tea to steep. When tea is dark enough (I like it on the light side, not too strong), strain into tea pot.

Lift basket and mix liquid with sugar until it dissolves. Replace basket of spices to allow it to steep longer as needed.

Remove strainer and serve tea.

Enjoy! ☕️

👩🏻‍🍳 COOKING TIP: If you are serving this to kids and want to omit the tea, just make the warm spiced milk. It's delicious. You could also have the chai hot or cold (over ice). 

🥛 MILK TIP: We have tried dairy, oat milk, coconut milk, and almond milk. Almond milk makes the creamiest version, but be sure to get unsweetened and unflavored.

All my best,

Penny

#simplecooking #hygge #wintermagic #simpleliving #recipe #chai