Good for: Energy, Digestion, Circulation, Bone Health
MAKES 4 CUPS / PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES / COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES
Starting the day with this sweet and spicy chai makes for a beautiful ritual! Although there‘s some caffeine in the black tea, the cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger calm the adrenals and allow your body to process the caffeine better, providing you with balanced, sustainable energy.
A Sip of History 🫖
The '"chai" you buy from any coffeehouse today dates back thousands of years. This historically ancient masala chai (meaning "spiced tea") is steeped in tales of royalty and herbal medicine. Of course with time, it had evolved over thousands of years. It was originally a spiced drink that mild ailments and did not contain any tealeaves and was caffeine-free, teas was added to the drink in 1835 by the British. Milk was introduced into Masala Chai in the early 1900s.
It’s tough to say when exactly masala chai came into being, it’s earliest record dates back to 500 years to South East Asia. It has been accepted that masala chai originated in the court of King Harshavardhana and was developed as an ayurvedic drink. The king sought out for a medicinal beverage. The drink he created did not include tea, but it was full of spices, rich in antioxidants meant to aid digestion, calm the nerves and enhance circulation.
Your List of Ingredients
2 cups whole milk (for Kapha Dosha substitute with )
2 cups water
2 tablespoons ginger powder
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon whole cardamom seeds
2-3 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 to 2 bay leaves
1/4 whole black peppercorns
1 star anise
8 teaspoons loose-leaf black tea (or 8 tea bags)
1 to 2 teaspoon honey per cup (tip: never cook honey, it will loose it’s antioxidant benefits)
Okay! Now that you have your ingredients, let's make this oh so delicious drink!
Pour the milk and water into a medium saucepan, cover, and heat to just below a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the ginger, cinnamon sticks, and black tea.
Coarsely grind all the herbs in a spice grinder or blender. Add the ground spices to the pan.
Steepy, mostly covered, on simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes to prevent milk to burn.
Strain the liquid and drink. Cool slightly and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey (if using) per 8-ounce serving. Store any extra in a airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.