Basic Chai

Basic 5-minute chai

Although chai made with black tea is not, strictly speaking, an Ayurvedic preparation, it's a good vehicle for taking beneficial combinations of spices.

This is a basic chai recipe which can be varied according to body type and season - in winter, you can use more ginger and black pepper to make a more warming chai.

This only takes 5-6 minutes to make, and grinding the spices fresh is worth the additional effort - there is an entire range of taste and aroma that just isn't there when you use preground spices or an instant chai mix.

Yield: 4-5 cups
Time to prepare: 6 minutes

Ingredients:
1 quart filtered water (945ml)
12 oz. milk (350ml)
Fresh ginger
2 tsp. whole fennel seed (10ml)
1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns (2ml)
2 whole cloves
1/2 "star" whole star anise
1 2 inch (5cm) piece Whole cinnamon stick
2 Tbsp. loose black tea (30ml) (for best results, use packaged loose buds which can be purchased in any Indian grocery)
2 tsp. whole green cardamom (10ml)
2 Tbsp. raw sugar (30ml) (optional - chai can also be sweetened with Agave nectar or honey)

Equipment:
Stainless steel pot (2 quart/liter or larger - a pot with a pouring lip is very helpful)
Tea strainer
Grater
Mortar and pestle - can be purchased at many Asian groceries
Thermos (optional - useful for keeping chai hot)

Bring water to a boil. While waiting for water to boil, grate a piece of ginger about half the size of your thumb into the water (use more for a more warming chai, less for a milder chai). Put pepper, fennel, star anise, cloves and cinnamon stick into mortar and grind to a coarse granular consistency - you should be able to smell the aroma of the spices as it is released by grinding. Do not grind into powder if using a coffee mill. Add ground spices to hot water.

When water comes to a full boil, add tea to water and set timer for 5 minutes. Immediately add milk (milk can be preheated in microwave) and stir occasionally until chai comes to a boil a second time. Once chai has come to a boil with the milk added, turn off the flame, grind up whole cardamom pods as finely as possible and add it to the chai. Let chai sit for the remaining few minutes, then strain it through tea strainer. Add raw sugar or agave nectar to taste.

The leaves should not remain in the chai, as this will bring out tannic acid from the tea leaves and will make the chai bitter. To keep chai fresh and hot, use a thermos - reheated chai will not taste the same.