BEST chai tea mix (and far cheaper than the powdered stuff)

about 1 inch roughly chopped fresh ginger
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
a couple cardamom pods
1 cup milk (I prefer skim)
3 T black tea (I like Assam, but that’s what we normally have in the house anyway, I’ve tried it with Earl Grey and it’s not so bad)
sugar to your desired sweetness (I use 1 Tablespoon)

Put everything into your saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and continue to warm for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Strain (I use my tea infuser).

Chai Tea Mix

1 cup powdered milk
1 cup dry creamer
1 cup vanilla flavored dry creamer
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened tea mix
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cardamom (or allspice)
opt. 1 Tbs. vanilla pudding mix

Stir to combine all ingredients. Use 3 Tbs. in 8 oz. of boiling water.

Options:

• For a prettier mix, you can run it through the blender a cup at a time.
• Allspice is easier to find and can be substituted for cardamom to make a very nice spiced tea, but it’s not the same. Cardamom has a very distinctive taste and aroma, even to our uncultured tongues. We found cardamom in bulk for a great price in the local health food store.
• The vanilla pudding mix is optional but does help the mix to dissolve better.

Hmm, let’s see now – Chai (i.e. indian spiced tea):

i. Gd for the heart (tea).
ii. I take my chai with milk (which has a sedative effect, yep) and do a mini-teh tarik (which can be fun).
iii. Ma taught me how to make a neat cuppa chai – replete with pounded cinnamon, cardamom, dried ginger etc. & methinks it is only apt that one values something passed on by someone special, oui?

So, go ahead, try some gd chai & have a great day ahead :)
Wishes, Minerva*