NOURISH | SOOTHING MASALA CHAI TEA RECIPE

With everything going on with the world at the moment it feels good to create moments of calm and find joy in the simple and slow parts of life. Enjoying the morning sun with a hot chai, reading a book by the fire or a walk in nature can ground us and bring us back to the more important parts of life.

Traditional chai has a long history that is spread across a number of different cultures who value the tea blend as it's high in antioxidants and it's subtle, sweet smelling aroma. It's energy boosting, can increase heart health and is known for it's anti-inflammatory properties. Here is a simple recipe with plenty of warming and healing whole spices.

You will need:

• 6-8 Green cardamom
• 1 whole stick of cinnamon
• A knob of fresh Ginger
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 3-4 Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• Milk of your choice
• 3 tbsp loose black tea or 3-4 tea bags
• Sweetener (optional — honey, cane sugar, stevia, maple syrup, rice syrup)

Method:

1. Gently crush the loose spices (green cardamom, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, cloves and nutmeg) to bring out the flavour of the spices.

2. Add the ground spices to a saucepan with 2.5 cups of water and freshly grated ginger, bring to the boil over a high heat then turn down and let it simmer for around 10-15 minutes.

3. Next, add the black tea and milk of your choosing and let simmer for a few more minutes.

4. Strain into your favourite mug and if you'd like to, add sweetener to taste.

Enjoy!

Note: You can keep the strained tea in the fridge for a few days to warm up and sip at your leisure. Or serve over ice.

 Recipe by the Minimalist Baker.