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Recipe - Ingredients & Instructions
- Get a large saucepan - the following amounts are to make a good 1.8-2 litres of Chai which you can either serve to a group of friends or put into a thermos to enjoy through the day (because if you're going to this much trouble to make a cup of tea then you ought to get a lot of enjoyment out of it!)
- fill the saucepan with approximately 1.5 litres and turn the heat on to full
- Add approx 2 'thumbs' (that means an amount that is at least as big as your thumb) of coarsely cut fresh ginger to the water.
- Get to your mortar and pestle (if possible you want to use a good strong stone one) and then add the following spices all together before you start grinding them. I guess you could use an electronic grinder but would it be the same as pounding and grinding yourself? I don't think so...
Note that this is where making your chai gets particularly interesting as small adjustments in the amount of spices you use will give a markedly different flavour to the chai. I am giving a suggested range that, whether you go high or low, should have people going 'wow! that is amazingly good!'
- Cardamom pods 6-12 (these give a tremendous amount of flavour to the chai - don't be shy!
- Black peppercorns 6-10 (this will greatly influence how 'hot' it tastes - adjust to the season)
- Cloves 1-2 (just a very light touch with these - some of you may even prefer to leave them out)
- Cinnamon 1/2 to 1 whole 'log' (cinnamon comes in a lot of different strengths, this also influences the flavour a great deal so try smaller to higher amounts)
- grind all these spices up until they are well and truly broken up - inhale deep!
place all of them in that pot of water which has been steadily getting hotter all the time
- then grate a few sprinkles (not too much, very strong!) of whole nutmeg over the water
- then add approx 2-3 good dessertspoons of the best black loose-leaf tea you know or you can find - it should smell excellent, be well and truly black, and it should not be too crumbly in your fingers but rather have a crisp dryness (this is a measure of its freshness)
- put in a good amount of sugar at this point - raw sugar is ideal. Many people are anxious about adding sugar to a cup of tea when in fact they eat far greater amounts of what in effect is also simply 'sugar' in the bread, rice, potatoes etc. that they eat every day. I recommend a large handful of sugar with the amounts we are talking about making here but you can try more or less to your taste - definitely have at least some sugar or use honey if you prefer.
- then add about half to one cup of milk - normal cow's milk is what is mostly used but I personally use goats milk and no-one ever knows unless I tell them. Use soy milk if you have a lactose intolerance.
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Depending on what kind of heat you are using and how long it takes you to grind the spices etc. you should be near to getting your pot up to a simmer. Don't let it boil over but do allow the tea and the spices to 'roil' around on a gentle simmer for at least 5 minutes - you can cook it longer, certainly up to as long as 15 minutes if you want to get an even stronger and spicier tea but somewhere a little over 5 minutes usually seems about right.
Naturally enough this is quite a tricky pot of tea to strain, I recommend using a good sized sieve and a sink! Strain into a jug and pour out into cups to serve now or strain into a thermos and enjoy for the day ahead.
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Please understand that I cannot advise you, including on products or dosage, without seeing you in person in my clinic but for ideas
on how you might find a good herbalist in your area read here
This living 'book' is my labour of love so, wherever you are, I wish you peace & good health!
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