Chai

Picture courtesy: Wikipedia

Let me say it in all caps: I LOVE CHAI. Isn’t Chai the same as milk tea? No? Chai Latte? No?

No Sir! This isn’t her majesty’s drink for the afternoon break or something you can order at Starbucks. Chai is the carefully brewed love potion by the dexterous Indian housewife for a refreshing start of her family’s day. It is the oil that keeps in the midnight lamp burning for a hosteler in India working for an exam the next day. It is also the one thing that can teleport an international student living in New York back to home where the afternoons were brightly lit with yellow sunrays and chuckles over family jokes and of course, some matharis and biscuits. Chai is a personal thing for me. It is a conversation I have with myself three times a day. It is the one thing that assures me that the world hasn’t changed enough. I could go on and on about how much I love Chai and what it means to me, but let’s go ahead with the recipe.

Chai (Spiced Hot Milk Tea) - Recipe

Ingredients:

* Chai Masala - can be prepared once and stored for regular use
	1. Fennel seeds  
	2. Cinnamon  
	3. Cardomom
	4. Cloves
	5. Dry Ginger 
* Milk
* Sugar
* Black Tea leaves  

How much of everything?

There are various sources on the internet that will tell you about the recommended quantities of each of these ingredients. But no single recipe is the best. My advice to you would be to try a small amount of masala and modify it according to your taste.

Directions:

Blend: Blend all these spices in a mixer and store in a dry container.