Here it is at last. What you’ve been waiting for all these months: My secret chai recipe! Forget meditation and years of celibacy locked away in a monastery; drinking chai is the surest way to enlightenment.
Peel and finely chop a generous lump of root ginger.
Crush half a dozen fresh green cardamom pods.
Throw in four or five cloves.
Break some cinnamon sticks.
Put all of the above into a saucepan with a pint of water and bring to the boil.
Simmer for five or ten minutes.
Stir in some jaggery to taste.
Add a heaped dessert spoonful of large leaf Assam tea.
Add a teaspoon of broken tea leaves for body and colour.
Simmer for a minute.
Take off the heat and add four heaped dessert spoons of milk powder.
(If using fresh milk, apply a little more heat to re-warm the chai.)
Allow a few more minutes of passive brewing, without heat.
Strain into your favourite mug or chai bowl.
Drink.
As far as I know, jaggery is only available in India. You can use sugar instead, to sweeten the tea, but somehow it is not quite the same...
Anyway, enjoy your chai!
