Chai Recipe
This recipe is a modified version of Anne Finstad’s original recipe which she brought back from Mysore, India in 2004.
Here’s a pdf of the Chai recipe.
Ingredients:
- Water – 6 cups
- Ginger – fresh, two handfuls
- Cinnamon sticks – 3
- Cloves – whole, 1 big pinch
- Loose black tea – 3-5 generous tablespoons (depending on how strong you want it)
- Cardamom pods – (or powder) 1 big pinch
- Fennel seeds – 1 big pinch
- Pepper – ground – ¼ tsp -1 tsp (depending on how spicy)
- Boil 6 cups water – set to simmer
- Smash ginger – don’t cut or peel. Smash them to about ¼ inch thickness
- Put ginger in simmering water and start preparing first bowl
Prepare first bowl of spices:
- Cinnamon sticks – smash in mortar and pestle until about ½ inch long
- Cloves – 1 big pinch – grind till powdery
- Put cinnamon and cloves into water pot, simmering for 5-10 minutes
Prepare second bowl of spices:
- Loose black tea – 3 (normal) – 5 (strong) generous tablespoons
- Cardamom pods – 1 big pinch – grind till they get out of pods
- Fennel seeds – 1 big pinch – grind a little
- Ground pepper – ¼ tsp – 1tsp
- Pour second bowl of spices into water pot, simmering for 10-15 minutes
- Turn off pot and let sit on stove until next morning if possible
- Strain into a large bowl. Compost spices
- Add milk – I like this non-refrigerated vanilla soy milk, 1.5 to 2 quarts depending on how milky you want it
- Pour into (large glass) containers.
- Store in the fridge.
- When ready to drink, pour into glass and microwave for 99 seconds