Christmas Eve Chai
Wishing you a very happy Christmas tea time
This recipe is adapted from a friend of mine Dr. Maya Hariharan, as Maya says:
“No morning is complete without gingerly nursing a cup of warm radiant chai. With a plethora of health benefits (as a digestive, an anti-inflammatory, a pick-me-up and an antidepressant), tea is an acknowledgement of the ancient wisdom of the past, a mindful smile of the present and the anticipating embrace of the future”.
Discover this ancient (and modern) Indian ritual for yourself below.
Ingredients to make for 2
Loose leaf black tea - 1.5 - 2tsp depending on how caffeinated and strong you like it. I always use and recommend Henrietta’s teas at Rare Tea Company (iykyk) and would recommend the Lost Malawi for this recipe.
Cardamon - 3 pods
3 Cloves
Cinnamon - 1 inch size
Ginger - 1cm piece
Half teaspoon fennel seeds
2 whole black peppercorns
1 cup of Condensed milk or Oat barista
Unrefined sweetener of choice - Sugar or syrup such as date, maple etc (you probably won’t need this if using condensed milk).
Directions
Place your spices on a dry frying pan over a light heat to dry roast them, releasing their aromatics.
Place into a pestle and mortar and grind as best you can.
Put 2 cups of water into a saucepan and bring to the boil
Add the spice blend, simmer for 2 minutes to allow to infuse.
Add 2 teaspoons of tea, 1 cup of milk of choice and your sweetener
Bring the Chai to the boil again, when it reaches a rolling boil turn
down and then bring to a second rolling boil.
Turn off heat as soon as it reaches the second rolling boil. (Boiling
twice like this will give a nice mouthfeel).
Strain into your favourite cup and enjoy!
Dr. Maya Hariharan, M.D. is a friend as well as an Irish-based paediatrician of Indian origin. She is an intuitive who bridges Western Paediatrics with the principles of Ayurvedic paediatrics (‘Balacikitsa’) for an holistic approach. She is a firm believer in transformational power of compassion and actively seeks to educate and revolutionise child care.