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)

1. Boil 6 cups water – set to simmer
2. Smash ginger – don’t cut or peel. Smash them to about ¼ inch thickness
3. Put ginger in simmering water and start preparing first bowl

Prepare first bowl of spices: 

4. Cinnamon sticks – smash in mortar and pestle until about ½ inch long
5. Cloves – 1 big pinch – grind till powdery
6. Put cinnamon and cloves into water pot, simmering for 5-10 minutes

Prepare second bowl of spices: 

7. Loose black tea – 3 (normal) – 5 (strong) generous tablespoons
8. Cardamom pods – 1 big pinch – grind till they get out of pods
9. Fennel seeds – 1 big pinch – grind a little
10.  Ground pepper – ¼ tsp – 1tsp 
11.  Pour second bowl of spices into water pot, simmering for 10-15 minutes

12.  Turn off pot and let sit on stove until next morning if possible

13.  Strain into a large bowl. Compost spices

14.  Add milk – I like this non-refrigerated vanilla soy milk, 1.5 to 2 quarts depending on how milky you want it
    
15.  Pour into (large glass) containers. 
16.  Store in the fridge.

17.  When ready to drink, pour into glass and microwave for 99 seconds

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