authentic chai recipe

today i would like to share our chai recipe

what?!

are you crazy?!

have you gone mad?!

will people be calling me later to ask "are you okay? i noticed you shared one of your "secrets" online- broadcast to the world- should we come right over?" will the calls be so frequent and so many that i will be forced to remove my landline from its cradle (yes, i have a landline, no i don't have a cellphone).

i would worry if there were a readership- sadly, even my semi-retired parents are too busy to read me. last night, during our daily video chat i mentioned something about my blog to my father- ever so subtly he attempted to open a new tab and read the blog while i was talking to him. which was not only sad (and nothing near subtle) but distracting.  i could see his focus had completely shifted- his eyes were scanning something- and although he tried to locate the site quietly i could hear the click click click on his keyboard. to add the proverbial insult to injury, my stepmother joined in; standing behind him reading over his shoulder- so now i was chatting away- in live time- but nobody was listening.

i guess the power of the nearly non-existent readership is that i can write about anything or anyone i want to- honestly and boldly- without worry of hurting anyone's feelings- it is therapeutic to know i can rid myself of bottled up unwanted thoughts and fear no retribution, criticism or consequences.

tomorrow i will write about robes and how very much i despise them and how i truly feel about people who wear them- especially in the middle of day.

back to the chai.

indian chai is a spiced milk tea- in its original form it is made with rich black tea (not green, not decaffeinated- not 1/2 decaf & 1/2 green- it is made with black tea) 

the spices and sweetener are integral to its authenticity- if you don't like milk- you probably won't like chai-  f.y.i.- sweet n' lo and equal are not sweeteners- just thought you should know.

two of my biggest pet peeves?:  (a)when someone is given a recipe and the person takes it upon themselves to omit something from the recipe- "oh, i didn't have any garlic- i didn't think that would matter in the scampi recipe" and then they have the nerve to call you and tell you the outcome wasn't "quite right" and (2) when you ask someone for a recipe and they purposefully omit something like the baking soda or the cooking temperature- if you are unable to share a recipe honestly, why do you breathe? what must your life be like that you feel the need to hide your recipes away like some spoiled child at the playground with all the toys?

let's repeat for clarity: indian chai is a spiced milk tea made with rich black tea, spices and sweetener- each ingredient is necessary; other than the amount of spices you find pleasing, nothing else should be changed.

back to the recipe, which i will now share, apparently, with no one

depending on where you live, some of the spices will be easy to acquire- for others not so much- conveniently the chai kit is available on our site (simply click on the picture and voila! you are there!)

rude eve's chai tea

black peppercorns (45)

black cardamom (7)

green cardamom (30)

cinnamon sticks (3)

star anise (2)

whole cloves (20)

 freshly grated nutmeg

ginger powder (heaping tablespoon)

milk (3c)

water (2c)

sweetener (we recommend jaggery- but sugar or honey will work in a pinch) (if using jaggery - 2 heaping soup spoons)

please note, the spice amounts are a very personal thing- i like my chai spicy- hence, the number of peppercorns and amount of ginger- this is just a jumping off point- this is one recipe where you should customize to satisfy your own desires- i love to start my day with a spicy flush of decadence. 

the beauty of this drink is that it does become a personal morning ritual- not only does it make your house fragrant- it becomes an extension of yourself- requiring complete focus and attention-  a form of meditation; a morning's gift to others.

start with the hard spices in a heavy bottomed pan 

turn the pan to high 

once spices begin to <!pop!>

add hot water

and milk

add ginger, nutmeg and sweetener

leaving the temperature on high

bring the chai to a boil

do not leave your kitchen 

seriously, don't do it

i have made the mistake of walking out to use the loo and have returned to a sticky milk disaster- an over-boiled mess that is horrifying to clean up - requiring dismantling of the burners to access the "underneath part" of the top of one's stove

turn down and simmer covered for 15 minutes

add tea

turn off- cover and allow to steep

strain with a cheesecloth or teeny strainer

any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and enjoyed over ice or reheated later

a special shout out to the douchebag who lives in our building and has the privilege of illegally parking in our alley- for ignoring the fact that your car alarm has been going off for about 10 minutes. thanks for cutting into my early morning worktime- thanks for taking your sweet ass time to locate your keys- or your keychain- or whatever is necessary to shut the freaking thing off. thanks for waking up my 3 year old. i think the best remedy for this is for me to follow you to work tomorrow- where i will then join you, lying across your desk or sitting in the corner of your cubicle, through a bullhorn i will make annoying alarm noises while you try to get your shit together.