This tea is very special and particularly aromatic. It has soothed my chickens and I on many occasions because of the profound flavor and the comfort it offers with every sip.

There are many recipes for Masala Chai, tea made with spices and milk, and each person has their own combination of spices.

Traditional Indian chai tea is made from a base of black tea mixed with spices like pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. The tea is blended with milk and honey to create a sweet, velvety brew. Sugar can be used instead of honey, and other people like to substitute soy or rice milk instead of regular milk.

INGREDIENTS

–       Ginger, 1 TSP finely shredded

–       Cardamom, 7 whole seeds

–       Clove, 1/2 whole clove

–       Cinnamon

–       Milk, 1.5 Cup

–       Sugar, 2TSP

–       Orange Pekoe Tea, 2 TSP

METHOD

1. Open Cardamom pods and add seeds into your pestle, along with your clove and cinnamon. Smash together to create your masala mix.
2. Bring 1.5 cups milk and 1.5 cups water to medium heat and add sugar, masala mix, pekoe tea and ginger.
3. Bring the mix to a boil, and as the mixture rises, turn off the heat so the mixture drops back into the pot. Repeat 3 times to mix everything together.

There is always the lazy way of preparing this. We use the Twinings Chai tea bags and add milk and honey, also delicious and quicker.

For more photos of Ayan Dutta :  http://www.flickr.com/photos/ayan-dutta/

Cover photo by Michelle Peters Jones