I am definitely more of a coffee person than a tea person, but there's nothing like a good, STRONG cup of chai. I can drink a cup of coffee and go straight to bed, no problem. When when I have chai, I am WIRED. Because real chai needs to brew on the stove with milk, I usually save it as a weekend treat. With quarantine in place though, I've been able to get my chai fix much more often. The secret is fresh ginger - something about the addition of fresh ginger makes the chai almost taste "juicy" (for lack of better word...try it and you'll know what I mean). Everyone's chai is slightly different - once you make this one enough, you'll be able to add your own touch.
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups of water 3 cloves 4 cardamom pods, crushed 1 small piece of cinnamon 4 thin slices of fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ginger powder if you don’t have fresh) 4 tsp sugar (this is dependent on how sweet you like your tea. You can add more or less sugar. Honey can also be used) 4 tsp loose black tea leaves (or 3 strong black tea bags like orange pekoe, emptied) 1 1/2 cups milk (whole milk is ideal, but not necessary)
Directions: 1. Put water, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and fresh ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium low heat. Let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the water darkens in colour. 2. Add the sugar and tea. The amount of sugar is adjustable to your taste. If using a tea bag, cut the bag open and empty the contents directly into the water. Let it boil for no more than 30 seconds before adding the milk. If you let the tea boil for too long without adding milk, it will get very bitter. 3. Turn the heat back down to low and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the chai has thickened slightly. Keep an eye on the chai during this process as the milk will boil over if the heat is too high. 4. Once ready, strain into 2 teacups and serve hot.
