CHAI TEA LATTE

Chai tea or the spiced milk tea is the most popular beverage all over India. Ambiguous derivatives of chai tea are widely savoured across the South-Asian countries including Indian subcontinent. It is brewed using a wide array of gloriously essenced spices along with tea leaves, milk and sweetener which give rise to a warm, enigmatic drink which imparts a euphoric notion to our senses and add endurance to our life. From time immemorial, chai tea has remained an integral part of tea drinking ritual in India as a source of recreation as well as for its curative attributes.

The fame of chai tea is no longer restricted to the Indian subcontinent and is steadily gaining a global appeal. Entities with eastern influences always impose an alluring effect to the westerners and they have a penchant to adopt anything that is eastern. Now, chai tea was served by Indian restaurants in United States from as early as 1940s. When the western folks got introduced to the rich flavour of this Indian tea, they were driven by their above mentioned inclination to relish it more often. Chai tea started becoming their favourite drink and now ranks just below the most popular hot drink – coffee – in the West. Nowadays, chai tea is also served at eminent coffee shops in several forms. One of the most popular is the chai tea latte which is actually chai tea mixed with milk that is steamed in an espresso device. It has a soft foamy texture with an extra froth compared to regular chai tea and is well suited to the western palette. This velvety drink mellow into your mouth, leaving your taste buds yearning for more. It is a perfect drink for all seasons, however we think its particularly nice on a cold winter afternoon, served with a good company. Drink it piping hot to keep you warm on a freezing winter evening or have it chilled to relieve and relax yourself on a hot and stuffy summer day.

Now, you don’t have to worry about spending bucks in the coffee shops to pleasure yourself with a creamy cup of chai tea. You can brew it up at home adding extra touches to the drink to suit your personal taste. There no need to get concerned if you don’t have an espresso machine at home; when there is a will there is a way, and we have found a way! Follow the recipe below to find out more about it.

 

Serves: 4

Chai Tea Latte Ingredients

4 tea bags or 2 tablespoon loose black tea leaves

• 1’’ stick of cinnamon bark
• Pinch of cinnamon powder(optional)
• 1/4^th teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2-3 pieces of cloves
• Seeds from 2 pods of green cardamoms
• ½  teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 ½’’piece of peeled ginger
• 2 cup milk
• 2 pinches nutmeg powder
• Sweetener like sugar or honey to taste
• 3 cups of water

How to make Chai Tea Latte

• Cut the peeled ginger, crush it using a pestle and mortar and keep it aside.
• Crush the remaining whole spices into fine powder in the mortar.
• Put water in a pan, add the crushed ginger and freshly grounded spices to it.
• Bring it to boil, then cover the pan and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Remove the pan from heat and let the spices infuse their flavour for about 3-4 minutes.
• Add black tea leaves and boil it for 5 minutes.
• Take care not to let the tea blend boil over and reduce flame quickly just before it does.
• If you have an espresso machine, then load it with the milk.
• Remove the pan from fire, strain it into serving cups and add milk to it from the machine.
• If you don’t have an espresso machine, then add milk to the tea blend while it is boiling.
• Bring the mixture to boil, then reduce the flame every time it is about to overflow.
• Repeat the process for 2- 3 times. This process thickens the chai and gives it a rich foamy texture much similar to chai tea latte available in coffee shops.
• Remove the blend from heat and strain it into serving cups.
• Add sweetener to the chai and stir it.
• Add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg powder on top before serving your creamy cup of chai tea.
• You can also top it up with an extra helping of whipped cream to deliver a richer essence to your drink

Note: Allow the mixture to cool if you want to make iced chai latte and then pour it over ice cubes. You can also add a dollop of vanilla ice cream as an added delight.