Chai is a popular spiced tea that originated in India. Here is a basic recipe for making chai at home:
Ingredients for 1 cup for tea:
- 1 cups of water
- 1 cups of milk (can be substituted with non-dairy milk)
- 1 black tea bags or 1 teaspoons of loose leaf black tea
- 1 cinnamon sticks
- 1 cardamom pods
- 1 cloves
- 1 peppercorns
- 1 inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoons of honey or sugar (optional)
Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
- Add the tea bags or loose leaf tea, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns, and ginger to the water.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the milk.
- Let the mixture simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the tea has infused with the spices.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or a cheesecloth to remove the spices and tea leaves.
- Sweeten the tea with honey or sugar if desired.
- Serve the chai hot in a mug or teapot.
You can adjust the ratio of the ingredients according to your preference. You can also add other spices like nutmeg, fennel or aniseed. Some people also like to add a pinch of saffron.
Enjoy your delicious homemade chai!
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
2-3 tea bags or 2-3 teaspoons loose leaf tea
2-3 cloves
2-3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
1-2 tablespoons honey or sugar (optional)
Instructions:
- Bring the water, milk, and spices (cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon) to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Turn off the heat and add the tea bags or loose leaf tea. Let it steep for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the tea bags or strain the tea and add honey or sugar to taste.
- Serve the tea hot, and enjoy your homemade Chai!
Note: You can also add ginger for extra flavor or use black pepper or star anise for variation. You can also use different types of tea such as black tea or green tea.