My chai is always made with the same ingredients, though with varying quantities depending on my mood. I used to add the tea quite early on, and I used to leave the tea in the brew – it took me ages to realise that doing so makes the whole thing extremely bitter. So now, when the brew has just started to simmer very gently, I add the tea, steeping it no longer than a minute or two. I use quite a lot of tea in order to make the brew robust, and to get the first and best part of the tea, and then, because I have removed the tea, what I am left with is a lovely brew consisting of the herbs and spices and the flavour of the tea without any bitterness.
I always make enough for two or three days, and I cannot resist leaving all the spices and herbs in the pot where they continue to contribute to the taste of the chai.
So here I sit in the early morning sun on my verandah, sipping a cup of chai and thinking that all is not too shabby. The cup has no handle, so I feel the warmth of the tea as I look at the vanilla seeds and nutmeg bits on the top, and notice a bobbing clove and an allspice berry lurking just beneath the surface. I drink my chai milky and with raw honey, which I add into each cup (thus leaving the brew in the pot black).
The act of drinking it is almost a sacred thing – it brings relevance and reverence to the moment, it quiets the thoughts and helps to set a more deliberate path for the rest of the day. At the very least, it just tastes nice. And it makes me feel good – like I could manage anything I want to do. It slows the moment down – for when I am drinking it I cannot disrespect its purity by doing something else at the same time – in its quiet way it asks to be the focus and the enjoyment in itself – not the means to something else. In doing so, the other tasks of what have to come in the day crowd beyond the moment, jostling for position and waiting with ill-concealed impatience – but they are dull and muted whilst one is drinking a dish of chai – and then afterwards they don’t seem nearly so demanding or imposing.
The recipe:
To 6-8 cups of cold water in pan add:
8 green cardamom pods
12 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
¼ ginger root, sliced thinly
¼ tsp black peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves
10-12 allspice berries
Grated fresh nutmeg (or about ½ tsp of the dried stuff)
a vanilla bean
Bring slowly to the boil on a low heat. I like it to take about an hour.
Add tea, either 1 tblsp loose tea in a catcher or 4-5 tea bags. Don’t leave in for very long so that it does not turn bitter.
I sometimes add a few drops of orange oil at this point, for extra flavour and just because I have some. Some orange peel could even be added, if the wax has been washed off.
You can strain and return to pan, adding 2-3 tblsp honey and 1 cup milk. Stir until reaches desired temperature.
Or just keep tea as-is, adding milk and honey (or another sweetener) to each cup, so that the remains can be kept in the fridge and reheated as desired.