This is a nice, mild chai recipe. I'm not going to lie to you -- if you want to make your own chai, you're going to have to order some special stuff for it. Luckily, it's not too hard to find. Penzeys and The Spice House offer whole spices that are SCD legal, and The Spice House offers muslin bags.
I know, I know, muslin bags? In essence, to make your own chai, you need to make your own tea bag. Muslin bags are inexpensive and reusable, so don't forget to order a few when you order your chai spices.
OK, enough of that. Here's what you need:
SCD LEGAL CHAI TEA
2 c water
2 black tea bags (earl grey can be used), or 1 tbsp loose black tea
6 whole green cardamom pods
1 tsp whole fennel seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground fennel)
10 peppercorns
Put the cardamom pods in the muslin bag. Use the back of a measuring cup to bang on the pods. You want them open and the seeds inside to be partially crushed.
Add the rest of the spices to the muslin bag and draw it up tight. Put the bag in the water and bring to a boil.
Simmer for five minutes, and then add the tea bags. Simmer for another five minutes. Turn the heat off and let it sit for 2-3 minutes more. Pull out all your tea bags.
Put a little honey in the bottom of a large mug (I use about 1 tsp). Add the chai tea and 1/3 cup coconut milk.
Serves one person. :)
You can adjust the strength by putting the black tea in earlier or later. Try it out a few different ways until you find a strength you like.
Enjoy! :)
2 comments:
You can also use a small strainer or in-cup tea infusers for making chai and other loose leaf teas. I really like the in-cup ones with a lid that can be turned over to hold the infuser so it doesn't leak. They're a little easier to clean than muslin bags, which is nice. On the other hand, you can tie blends into a muslin bag for on-the-go tea which is also nice....
Hmm yeah, or you could just throw everything in the pot and then pour it through the infuser into your cup.
No matter what, though, it's a little more work than popping open a box of Oregon Chai concentrate. ;)
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