Cozy Masala Chai Recipe

It's officially fall! One of my favorite things about fall is getting to curl up with a cozy blanket and a warm beverage in the crisp air and look out at all the colorful fall foliage. Taking time to appreciate these moments and adjust our habits as seasons shift is an important part of Ayurveda. Fall and early winter are associated with vata, a time when things become more airy, dry and cool. It is the beginning of my time to cultivate and embrace hygge - the Danish word for that comfy, cozy, coffee house feel. As someone who grew up and went to undergraduate school in the Rocky Mountains, I know it well. But, as someone who is incredibly sensitive to caffeine, I have had to become a bit more creative with what these beverages may be. More and more, I end up making my own tea or spice mixes to line up with the Ayurvedic qualities of the season or time of day. It also helps me control how much sugar, caffeine or who knows what in my body.

Today, I'm sharing a classic. I have always LOVED Masala Chai and this recipe is so similar in taste profile to some of the Bhakti Chai mixes available in stores or coffee shops - EXCEPT I DECIDE EXACTLY WHAT IS IN IT, including the sourcing and growing methods of the ingredients used! <3

Depending on the time of year or my mood, I may substitute in some fresh mint leaves, or ground pomegranate just to "spice" it up, keep things playful, or not bother running to the store for 1 thing. This is a great recipe, but feel free to experiment with different versions of it depending on what YOU need to feel balanced.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Water
• 2 tsp Loose Leaf Black Tea/tea powder/or tea bags - any type that is similar to an English Breakfast or Lipton classic black tea will be fine. You can even use a decaf black tea if you're trying to limit caffeine intake.
• 2 Green Cardamom pods
• 2 Cloves
• 1/4 tsp Black Peppercorns, freshly cracked
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp dried rose petals
• 1/4 tsp Fennel seeds
• 1 inch knob of fresh ginger (chopped, grated, or zested)*
• 1 cp whole milk or milk substitute (oat, almond... whatever you prefer but go for the creamy, WHOLE version)
• Optional: 2 tsp or to taste - sweetener of your choice - sugar, honey, agave, cane sugar... (personally, I skip this but I know most people like sweet Masala Chai).

*when cooking with fresh ginger, I actually store it in the freezer (I know, I know, freezing is technically a no no), but working with frozen ginger makes peeling and prepping it so MUCH easier. It also keeps it fresh so I always have it on hand. Sometimes, we just have to be real with what gets us closer to our goals.

Instructions:

1. Crush the spices. Break up the spices into a powder using either a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder. (I have an old coffee grinder dedicated to spice grinding).
2. Place a small sauce pan over medium heat and add the 2 cups of water.
3. As water comes to a rolling boil, add the crushed spices and ginger so they can begin to release their flavor. Boil for about 5 minutes.
4. After the spices have boiled for about 5 min, add black tea and let it seep for about 3 minutes - not longer, this prevents bitter tea.
5. Then add your choice of milk.
6. Boil for about 5 more minutes on LOW heat until the color of the tea is a light shade of brown.
7. Option to add sweetener of your choice.
8. Strain chai into a cup using a tea strainer.

Ayurvedically it is best to make everything fresh each day. However, I get that life does not always allow for that. In that case, You can also make a spice mix to have on hand. I recommend lightly dry toasting (no oil) the whole spices before you grind them for just a few minutes, until they become aromatic and the green cardamom seeds slightly change color. Then grind them and store in a pantry or freezer for up to a few months. You can either add ground dried ginger to the mix or add fresh ginger when you make it to drink. Do not store fresh ginger with dried spices.

Enjoy!