C – I met this wonderful Indian lady name Reika at a meditation course a few months back.
I really liked her. She reminded me of my mom’s home cooking while I was far away. She would make delicious meals for us and I was in heaven. I especially enjoyed the chai latte she made every morning for breakfast.
It was amazing. Nice and strong taste of spices. I loved it. After she left everyone at the center tried to make chai, but never seemed to get it to be her perfect blend.
Now, I am back home and still dreaming of Reika’s amazing chai. Yeah, I could go to Starbucks and get chai. But, it comes from an already made mix. Peet’s chai tastes like sweet milk and that’s it. Grossest thing ever. I want to make sure that the spices are strong and it’s not overly sweet. Also, I am lactose intolerant, so I have to make it with non-dairy milk.
After a week of making this I think I have it. I am so surprised at how much it takes to make a good tasting chai. It is harder than it looks. But, I think I have a way to make it pretty quickly and still taste good.
| Chai Latte |
- 2 Tbsp ginger sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp anise seeds
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp whole black pepper
- 10 cardamom pods
- 2 Tbsp black tea
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp honey or as desired for sweetness
- With a mortar and pestle break up cinnamon stick, anise seeds, cloves, black pepper and cardamom.
- Add spices and ginger to 32 ounces of water. Boil for 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Add black tea and let steep for 5 minutes.
- In a blender, blend everything together until liquefied.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, strain liquid and discard solids.
- Return liquid to pot.
- Add coconut milk.
- Serve in mugs. Add whipped cream (optional).
- Enjoy!
I miss Reika and her lovely chai tea.
Every cup I make will keep the memory of the great lady and the course we served together.