Masala chai is a milky, spiced Indian tea. It’s delicious on a cold, rainy autumn or winter’s day, and also as a warming drink for your flask when out in the hills.
A variety of spices can be used and the ratios are really down to personal preference, but the mainstays are usually cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom and fennel or star anise.
Ingredients:
Makes 4 cups
- Almond/ rice/ soy milk – 2 cups
- Water – 2 cups
- 10 cardamom pods
- 4 black peppercorns
- 1 star anise
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 cloves
- 4 large slivers of fresh ginger
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pinch of rose petals
- 2 teabags
- 1 teaspoon honey per serving – optional
Instructions:
- Add the milk, water and spices to a large saucepan
- Bring to a gentle simmer over a low heat
- Add the teabags and allow to infuse for a few minutes
- Strain the tea into mugs
- Add a small amount (teaspoon or less) of honey to sweeten
- If you use non-dairy milks such as almond or rice (which are naturally sweet) you don’t really need to add much, if any, sweetener
