Hi my sweet friends,

How do you make your life even more beautiful than it is already? By gifting yourself moments of pure bliss... moments that encourage you to be grateful for where you are right now

And it doesn't have to be a particularly huge moment you need to plan... no, in fact it's even better when it's a simple moment, don't you think?

One of the ways I do that is by making myself a spiced cup of chai on a Sunday morning. Every time I do this, I think back to one family trip in the mountains of India. On one of the mornings, I was wrapped in layer after layer of warm clothing, with a thick knitted scarf tied around my neck. And yet I was entirely content with a cup of rich chai in my numb hands. I remember how thick the liquid was, how it warmed my insides so magically, and how the heat of the ginger almost singed the pine scented air...

I might not remember everything about that holiday, but that chai... absolutely, I do

And even though I can't quite recreate the same chai now, I feel like each time I try, I'm honouring a beautiful memory of my family, kind people who took the time to make me chai, and the beautiful nature that surrounded me

And you know what? I don't know if it's true for you, but connection to a beautiful memory inspires me to create even more now - it's like a ripple from the past to the present

So shall I share my favourite chai recipe with you? I promise, I'm not one for frills - I much prefer delicious, easy, and comforting 

If you want to see some visuals of how I make my chai, take a look at my reel HERE (which is for two mugs)

Now let's get going...

Ingredients for one mug:

- Black tea (one teabag is easiest, but definitely go for loose tea if you have it around)
- Fresh ginger
- 2-3 cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon of honey (optional, for sweetness)
- Milk (full fat is best for richness, but any other milk is absolutely fine)
- Water

(I also want to let you know that when I don't have cardamom, I make my chai with a cinammon stick and 2-3 star anise instead. The flavour is different; instead of having the sweet, peppery, pungent flavour of cardamom, it has a mellow and mild licorice sweetness )

Step 1: Prepare Your Spices 

• Peel your ginger and chop it into medium-sized chunks - you don't need to make this a neat or exact process at all
• Next, grab a mortar and pestle and break your cardamom pods apart roughly. Your aim is really to get those seeds out. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, then just crack open the cardamom pods with your hands

Step 2: Get Your Saucepan Going 
Ideally, we want our chai to have a 2:1 ratio of milk to water, so that you have a nice and rich, creamy texture. You might want to actually use a mug to roughly measure out the volume of milk and water that you need

• Add your water to a saucepan over low heat, and then add your teabag and spices to diffuse throughout (you can have medium heat on instead, but I prefer low heat, as it leaves more time for the spices to infuse in the water) 
• You can sweeten the deal by adding honey 
• Leave the mixture to warm, taking care not to let it reach boiling point

Step 3: Simmer And Steep

• As you start to see the mixture bubble up, and before it comes to a full boil, add the milk
• Let the mixture gently simmer again, allowing the spices to release their essence
• Turn off the heat once you see the mixture start to bubble throughout

Step 4: Strain and Serve

• For a smooth and silky texture, strain the chai to remove the tea bags and spices (but I won't tell if you only have the patience to remove the teabag...)

 

Now take a moment to embrace the warmth of your homemade chai, and savour each sip. And cheers to the delightful experience that's waiting for you!

 If you do anything interesting or different when you make chai, I'd love know, so pop a comment below

 

Love,

Affie