Authentic Homemade Indian Chai
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Authentic Indian Chai
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Category
Indian
Servings
2
Prep Time
2 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Chai literally translates to "tea" in Hindi and is prepared with milk and a variety of spice combinations. According to legend, a king 5,000 years in the past requested a healing beverage of his court, and an Ayurvedic drink with mixed spices was proposed - the first version of Indian chai.
Funnily enough, these early versions of chai didn't actually contain tea leaves; proper tea must come from the Camellia sinensis plant, and these drinks only contained milk and spices with healing benefits. In the mid-nineteenth century, British colonizers discovered the plant in India and began pushing large-scale production to compete with Chinese suppliers. Eventually, the East India company began promoting tea drinking within India itself, and traditional ayurvedic drinks were combined with newly popular black tea leaves.
Today, Indian chai is consumed all over the world, albeit with varying levels of connection to traditional chais. The recipe below is for a traditional preparation, with multiple steps and a specific blend of spices.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsps black tea (imported loose leaves from India are the best)
- 1 tsp chai spices
- Sugar (to taste)
Directions
Add the water, spices, and loose tea to a heavy bottomed pan and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Add sugar and milk to the simmering decoction. Stir until well blended.
Simmer until the tea is thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
Aerate the tea to properly blend the milk fats into the tea: with a long handled ladle or spoon, "pull" the chai. Lift up a spoonful at a time about 1 foot above the pot and let it pour slowly out in a stream. Do this at least 4-5 times.
Strain the chai tea through a sieve and serve.