Indulge your senses this winter
Indulge your senses on all levels with a pot of warming masala chai. Forget the fluffy, half-fat, skinny, sweet latte imposters - they are a far cry from the Ayurvedic spices of traditional, sattvic chai. If you've travelled in India or Sri Lanka, you might recall sipping hot, spiced tea from a chaiwalla's earn on the streets.
Chai concentrate is a contemporary take on the traditional recipes that allows us to partake in the goodness of the spices in an instant-ish way
Masala chai concentrate
5 cups water
12 green cardamon pods, crushed
8 whole black peppercorns
8 whole cloves
4 cinamon sticks
4 in piece of fresh ginger, sliced
2 whole star anise pods
2 tsp ground vanilla bean or 4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1-3 tsp coconut sugar
Add all the above into a saucepan and bring to the boil
Reduce heat to medium-low and add
5 black tea bags - Rooibos works well too if you’re after a caffeine free chai
Simmer for 20 minutes
Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve to remove solids
Pour into a clean glass bottle or jar and refrigerate (will last up to 2 weeks)
To serve
Add 1/2 cup chai concentrate, water and 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk (cow’s, or plant-based) to your preference
Gently heat until warmed through (do not boil or the milk will split)
Pour into your favourite hug mug and savour
Recipe taken from Eat Feel Fresh, plant-based Ayurvedic cookbook - Saharah Rose Ketabi