How do I make a good pot of homemade chai tea?!

Do you want a Chai that is available in shops in every 10 yards in India? or you are looking for an Westernized version (rather fusion Chai) recipe?

If you are looking for the 1st one...then the recipe varies in every shop and there is no Bible telling you that you need cardamom.

Here are some basic tip....
Three things are must.....
1. Chai or Tea leaves (Don't use any pricey, fancy tea.....the chai making process will spoil it's delicate aroma. Use common tea...may be English Breakfast Tea is fine)
2. Good fresh whole milk. Not the fat free...best if you get the milk fresh and not the processed one available from super market.
3. Sugar....common sugar....not even the Brown one...
Rest of these are add-ons...but most common and almost must is Ginger...then cardamom, sometimes a bay leaf. That’s it. No more spices/masala
The process(Indian)....Boil water in a pan (Take half pot +1 cup extra)....when it starts boiling add the sugar and the ginger(freshly crushed- not paste)....boil vigourously for 3/4 minutes...then add the tea (1/2 teaspoon for each cup of tea--since you are going to boil it...it will release lot more Tanin than usual)....bring it to boil.....add half pot fresh milk.....and continue boiling......controlling the heat High and Low in turn so that the Chai doesn't spill over. Do this for at least 5 minutes....now strain the liquid with a strainer and have your Chai ready. All the trick is in boiling with the milk....I can't do it to that perfection as my wife does.

The Westernized process goes on and on by adding all the spices in your spice chest just sparing before the Chai turns into a "Curry"....sorry!! that is anything but "Chai"...

My wife belongs to the Punjabi community who are famous for their Chai made with lot of milk...In our home we make at least 7-8 varieties of tea...starting from the "Earl Grey" to "Oloong" to the extent of desi "Chai". I stay in India...Mumbai.

The best thing to do is "advanced search" the internet for recipes wihth the word chai, and include the some or all of the spices you have or wish to use. You can put cardamom (and its alternate spelling cardamon) in the do not include box. Also try using the any of these box and include your spices. The other thing you can do is try to find a chai spice mix.

Visit your local Indian or Indo-Pak grocery, and ask the person behind the counter for help in purchasing spices or spice mixes. Feel free to let me know how it goes.

Be sure to use quality bottled still/flat water, or filtered water so you won't kill off any of the flavors. Brown sugar is best. stevia and rebiana based natural sweeteners are good as well as well as light or medium colored agave nectar.

Good luck!

Nope, you don't have to have cardamom. The spices in chai tea can be adjusted to your own taste. I like mine with back pepper, and some people don't.

Try this recipe (my own version), and skip the cardamom, using slightly more cinnamon and cloves instead.

Authentic Chai Tea Recipe: http://www.examiner.com/healthy-food-in-…

Use regular loose tea or tea bags they sell tea balls at Walmart and in this tea ball add some black pepper corns, fresh ginger ( available in produce) cinnamon sticks some grated nutmeg or a good sprinkling of ground nutmeg a few cloves as much or less as you like, you can use ground nutmeg cinnamon and ginger but fresh is so much better cardamon is very good and gives it a distinct flavor but you can leave it out actually everyone has their own special blend of Chia Tea cover all with boiling water, let steep a few minutes and sweeten to taste I like mine without milk but drink it both ways allrecipes.com has some good recipes and so does cooks.com go to these popular websites and type in Chia tea there are so many great combinations The most important ingredients for Chia are cinnamon and ginger and perhaps cloves You can even add a touch of vanilla ... the peppercorns give the tea zing! After a few pots of tea you will have the prefect combination

you will need... 2 tsp fresh grated ginger,1 whole star anise broken up, 1tsp orange peel grated, 4 pcs. cinnamon bark ,1 tsp. cardamon seed, 10 whole cloves garlic, 5 whole pepper corn. make a bundle of these ingredients in a cheese cloth which is called... bouquet garner.Place in a pot of water. Bring to a boil.Add tea leaves and simmer for 15min. Remove bouquet. Add honey,vanilla and milk.Serve hot or cold

latte is italian for milk, so obviously a chai latte would require that.