Iwaruna.com

For me, the best chai comes from a couple south Indian restaurants, Dasaprakash and Saravana Bhavan. (I’m usually disappointed by the Americanized café take on this drink: too bland or too cloying.) This recipe is certainly not perfect, but it’s a start. Use a full flavored, fermented black tea like Assam, Ceylon or English Breakfast. Perhaps missing a particular spice? Or too many? Or maybe one needs to use evaporated milk and/or extra rich milk. 😉

Ingredients

• 2 cups water, bottled or filtered
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 2 inches long
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cardamom (or 1 tablespoon crushed green cardamom pods)
• 6 black peppercorns
• 4 to 6 cloves
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder (or 3/4 inch thickly cut fresh ginger)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds (or star anise might work)
• (optional) 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• (optional) 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 cups milk
• 3 teaspoons black tea (or 3 tea bags)

Method

1. In a saucepot, add all spices to the water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for at least 5 minutes.
2. Add the tea and turn off the heat. Let steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the milk. Bring to a boil again, uncovered, for at least 5 minutes.
4. Pour the chai using a strainer into mugs.
5. Sit back, sip, and contemplate infinity.