Masala chai tea is a warming, spicy tea that originated in ancient India. It is a blend of fragrant herbs and spices steeped together to create a delicious tea with loads of medicinal benefits. Masala chai tea boosts the immune system, supports heart health, aids in digestion and reduces inflammation. Regularly drinking this tea can increase your digestive fire, soothe and relax your digestive tract, and increase excretion of toxins from the body. It is made with black tea, but can also be made with herbal teas for less caffeine, like a rooibos or decaf black tea… I like to use black tea for a natural energy boost, improved focus, and a good dose of the amino acid called L-theanine, which can promote relaxation, reduce stress, and also anxiety.
I love the taste of this ancient combination, but find it more time consuming to make by the cup. This recipe creates a concentrate that you can store in the fridge, and use either cold, or quickly heated, to enjoy a cup, or 10 cups, in a matter of minutes. Speedy, easy, delicious, and bursting with authentic masala tea flavor… you might just get hooked.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
- 2-3 inches fresh thinly sliced ginger coins
- 9 whole cloves
- 10 whole cardamom pods, slightly crushed
- 1-2 star anise or ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds if desired – very good for digestion
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- 7 tea bags of Assam, Darjeeling, Ceylon, or any tea you choose (you can also use loose leaf tea- approx. 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tbls of coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey,or sweetener of your choice
- 1 tbls vanilla extract, added once cooled
Tea time:
Lightly toast the cinnamon sticks, cloves, slightly crushed cardamom pods, star anise, and black peppercorns to help release some of their essential oils. Add them to a pan and heat until they become aromatic, about 1-2 minutes, then remove them from the heat.
Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a saucepan, and add the toasted spices and the ginger coins. Reduce the heat and allow the spices to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Once the water is infused with spices, add the black tea, and stir in a sweetener of your choice, remove the pan from the heat. Allow the tea to steep for 10 minutes. It’s important to not leave the black tea in too long, or it may create a bitter taste.
After steeping, strain the concentrate through a fine mesh strainer. Pour the tea concentrate into a glass bottle, and allow it to cool at room temperature. Add vanilla extract to the bottle, put the top on tightly, and give it a little shake.
You can store it in the fridge for up to two weeks. Serve either hot, or cold poured over ice. Mix one part tea concentrate to one part milk of your choice, or water.
There are so many ways to enjoy this concentrate. Use it to make hot or cold masala chai lattes—sprinkle the top with a little bit of cinnamon, use a milk frother to fluff up your milk before adding the concentrate, to make it feel extra fancy. Try adding it to a smoothie, your oatmeal, or using it in cake batter, cookie dough, or how about a cocktail?! Have a blast…you deserve it. This is a great flavor to play with. Here is wishing you good health, and good luck on all of your cooking adventures
