Sunday, November 6, 2011

Homemade Chai Tea


The first time I ever tried chai tea was in the home of a friend who served it after dinner as dessert. She made it in a teapot with lots of honey, ginger, spices, warm milk and freshly grated nutmeg. We drank it sitting by her fireplace. I remember feeling so cozy that I didn’t want to leave.


After that evening, I scoured the web to find a recipe to recreate that chai tea. What I realized is that chai is a mix of spices, steeped in black tea with honey and milk. All the recipes sounded delicious but complicated to make.

I finally hit on a combination of spices combined with loose Assom OP tea that I can make ahead of time and then brew easily in individual cups or a teapot. I purchase spices and loose tea in bulk at The Head Nut, which helps to keep the cost down.


Chai


4 c. Assom OP loose tea

1 tbsp. green cardamom pods

1 tbsp. cloves

1 tbsp. black pepper corns

1 tbsp. anise seed

1 tbsp. star anise (broken into pieces)

1 tbsp. candied ginger, minced

1 tsp. cinnamon stick, pounded into very small bits

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

Mix all ingredients together and store in a dark container.


To serve:

Fill a tea ball ½ full of the mixture and place in a mug.

To the mug, add one tsp. honey and fill with simmering water.

Let steep for 5 minutes then remove tea ball.

Add milk and serve.


A cup always transports me back to that cozy fireplace. I hope you get that same relaxed feeling from this rich and spicy tea. Enjoy!

3 comments:

  1. Dianne,
    I love Chai tea and prefer it not too sweet. Your recipe looks just perfect for my taste, and for someone like me who has never made their own Chai before. Thanks! It was good to meet you last weekend in class. Congratulations on starting your blog!

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  2. Dianne, your blog looks great! I love this recipe for chai -- I was just thinking about how I'd like to make something homemade to give to friends and family over the holidays. This sounds perfect. The picture is lovely, too/

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  3. Hi Tenaya,

    Thanks for your comments. I'm glad you're liking it! This recipe is very easy to make ahead, and the tea actually gets better as it mingles with the spices. Put into a pretty jar, it would make a perfect gift!

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