Authentic Indian Chai

from Odisha

By Elina Vogiatzaki

With so many spices in it, Indian tea is one of the best remedies for cold, throat pain and for boosting your immune system. It does take a bit more time to prepare it comparing to a usual bag of tea but it’s definitely worth it!

Preparation: 5min
Cooking time: 15min
Difficulty: Easy

Recipe

Ingredients for 2 cups

1 cup milk

1 cup water

4-5 cloves

6-8 black pepper corns

3-4 cardamom pods

1 tbsp. black tea

1 inch fresh ginger

1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

In a saucepan pour the water and the milk.
In a kitchen mortar crush the ginger and add it in the pan.
Separately crush the peppercorns, the cardamom pods and the cloves.
Add all the spices and the tea and bring to a boil.
Keep boiling and stirring every now and then for about 15min in medium fire.
Strain and serve the tea.
Enjoy it warm.

Tips

For a strong and spicy flavor always crush the ginger and the spices.
In India they always add 1-2 tbsps of sugar per person, but for a healthier version you can replace the sugar with stevia, honey or maple syrup and adjust it to your preference. I enjoy it without any sweetener and it’s a perfect choice for breakfast, especially when suffering from a cold.

Check here the health benefits of some plants that this recipe contains:

Cinnamon – The sweet wood