34
Chai. One sip and I am immediately transported to India. A beautiful country full of vibrant colors, fragrant spices and wonderful people. And tea. Oh, the tea. I can't get enough.
Some of our very best friends have chai saturdays and they make the best chai in town. Maybe even the U.S. I've watched them make it, and I know that the two spices you want to take the front row seat are ginger and cardamom. I don't know their exact recipe or what magic they put into it, but I will give you my closest recipe.
Ingredients:
6 cups of water
1/2 stick of cinnamon
5 cloves
5 peppercorns
5 allspice
1 star anise
6 cardamom pods
1 TBSP fresh grated ginger
2-3 tea bags
Milk
Sweetener of choice
Simmer water with spices for about 20 minutes. Add tea bags, ginger, milk (pour until you reach desired shade) and sweeten to taste. Let tea steep for 5 minutes. Strain tea and enjoy!
Variation: If you have an Indian Market nearby, add 1 teaspoon of this tea masala instead of boiling the water with spices.
BEST TEAPOT IN THE WORLD: If you drink a lot of loose leaf tea OR if you like your tea to be nice and hot for longer than 10 minutes then you should check out this amazing teapot. I bought mine in Germany, but it's actually available on amazon! (affiliate link) It's double walled so it keeps tea hot for a looooong time. This is what fueled my studying through grad school. It is pricey, but SO worth it. I've had mine for almost TEN years, and it's the only one I use and the only one I recommend.
