Make Warm Chai for Cosy Winter Days

From The Small Kitchen Cook by Ashleigh Butler

Chai, which simply means tea in Hindi, is a blend of spices, milk and sweetener, brewed together to create a warming drink. It is very popular and there are probably a million different recipes. This tea is on the stove regularly when we’re travelling in cooler climes and it contains many of the spices that live permanently in our campervan. I like my chai rich in clove and cardamom and this recipe provides just that. Of course, experiment with your own tastes and add more or less of what you prefer.

Makes 400 to 500ml

Cook time: 15 min

Ingredients

• 1 cinnamon quill
• 12 cardamom pods
• 12 cloves
• 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
• 5 peppercorns
• 4cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 2cm piece of fresh turmeric, grated
• 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1 star anise
• 1 tablespoon of rooibos or black tea leaves
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of your milk of choice
• Honey, to taste (optional)

Method

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, dry fry all spices, except for tea leaves, until fragrant. Keep swirling the pan around to prevent the spices from burning. Add a splash of water
2. and continue to stir.
3. Add one cup of water and the tea of choice and gently simmer for five to seven minutes to allow the flavours to develop and strengthen.
4. Add the milk and let it simmer for another couple of minutes, adding the honey as needed. Strain and serve

Tip: Use rooibos tea if you want to keep it caffeine-free. You can also substitute the honey for your sweetener of choice. You can double this recipe and keep it in the fridge for two or three days. Keep it black and add the milk as you heat and serve.

This recipe is an extract from The Small Kitchen Cook by Ashleigh Butler, published by Exploring Eden Books (also on Facebook and Instagram). For each book sold, Exploring Eden Books has committed to removing at least 25kg of CO₂ from the atmosphere. Read more here.