Herbal Chai Tea Food

CHAI TEA

Steps:

• Place cloves and peppercorns in a large bowl; with the end of a wooden spoon handle, crush spices until aromas are released., Add the tea bags, sugar, ginger, cinnamon stick and boiling water. Cover and steep for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the milk., Strain tea, discarding spices and tea bags. Stir in hot milk. Pour into mugs.

HERBAL TEA | HERBAL CHAI

Steps:

• In a kettle pan or saucepan, add the water. Peel the ginger and then crush the ginger and cardamom in the mortar-pestle. This is important otherwise you won't get the flavor of ginger and cardamom in the tea.
• Add the crushed ginger and cardamoms to the water.
• Add the lemongrass in the water. I usually cut it into many pieces. So chop them and add to the water.
• Also, add the mint leaves and holy basil leaves to the tea.
• Boil this water and herb mixture for 7 to 8 minutes or till the color of the water changes to a mild yellowish hue. This change of color of the water will be due to the ginger releasing its juices and flavors in the water.
• Add sugar or your preferred sweetener and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes more. You can choose to omit the sugar if you prefer.
• Now, add the tea powder or tea bags and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or till the water gets a deep hue of red. Tea powder or tea bags can be omitted to make a herbal tisane.
• Add milk. Simmer the tea for 2 to 3 minutes if you are using regular milk or soy milk. Skip the milk if you prefer.
• If you are using almond milk or cashew milk, then just stir the milk with tea and remove from the kettle. Heating further would cause the cashew or almond milk to become slimy and split.
• Strain the Herbal Tea through a strainer right into the cups.
• Serve the Herbal Chai hot as is or pair with snacks.

HERBAL CHAI (TEA)

Steps:

• Crush all the herbs and spices coarsely.
• Boil the water with the herbs.
• (Put ¾ teaspoon herbs for 1 cup water.) Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, covered.
• Strain; serve hot with milk and honey (or sugar) to taste.
• Variation: Let the tea cool down.
• Add honey (or sugar) to taste and serve cold on ice, garnished with thin lemon slices.

TEA HOUSE CHAI CONCENTRATE

Steps:

• Crush together the black pepper, ginger root, cardamom, cinnamon stick, and cloves in a coffee grinder or food processor(just pulse, do not grind to a powder).
• Add to 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add 8 teaspoons of tea. Allen uses Darjeeling OP. Steep for 8-10 minutes. Stain out the spices and tea. Add 1 teaspoons of vanilla and 3 teaspoons of honey, or sweeten to taste. Enjoy!
• This can be refrigerated for weeks.
• Heat up as needed and add an equal amount of hot(Allen steams his) milk. Top with ground cinnamon.
• Note:.
• For a mocha chai, use chocolate milk instead of white.
• For herbal chai, replace the Darjeeling with 1 teaspoons each of chamomile, fennel seed and peppermint.