I’ve always loved chai tea, especially in the winter when a spicy, warming beverage is just what the doctor ordered. But good chai tea (the loose kind) is pricey. Moreover, I don’t love some of the brands that I’ve tried recently because they’re too weak. So, because a community member requested it, I thought it was time to get on and create a good DIY Chai Tea.
Chai tea originally hails from India, but it’s become popular globally because of its complex spicy flavor, and the health benefits of the different spices used. Ayurvedic medicine is a big proponent of these spices, adding them to many foods. However, I think that chai spices are particularly delicious in a warm tea.
I have added a special ingredient: dandelion root. It’s not only the root you need to aid your liver in cleansing and detoxing, but it also has a lovely nutty flavor.
DIY Chai Tea
Ingredients
- 2 cups of good-quality, organic black loose leaf tea (decaf is okay)
- ¾ cup dandelion root
- ½ cup cardamom pods
- 1/2 cup cloves
- ¼ cup black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon or ¼ cup cinnamon pieces
- 2 tbsp of ground ginger or ¼ cup of dehydrated ginger
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together really well in a large bowl
Preparation
- Either spoon 2-3 tsp of chai into a teapot or a tea bag (I prefer a tea bag because this tea is quite hard to strain due to the ingredients).
- The teapot I show in the video is the Teaze tea pot, however, having experimented with this recipe, I think you’re better off using a regular tea pot with a tea strainer, or even better, a bag!)
- Bring a tea kettle of water to boiling. Pour over tea bag or into tea pot and steep for 5 minutes.
- Add a plant-based milk and sweetener of your choice. I love Jaggery, which is an unprocessed form of sugar cane, and has a nutty, not-to0-sweet taste. You could also use Monk Fruit, Stevia, or Coconut Nectar.
- You can steam the milk and turn your drink into a sweet latte.
Storing
- Store in an airtight tin for up to 6 months.
