Traditional Indian Chai (somewhat)

[Sim]

Traditional Indian Chai

Fresh ginger, 2cm chunk, peeled
1/2 cinnamon stick
4-6 whole black peppercorns
4-6 whole cloves
2 green cardamon pods
1/4 whole nutmeg
500g Full-cream milk, or soy milk
250g water
2 tsp loose-leaf Indian black tea (I use Assam)
1 blob of honey

1. Place ginger and spices into TM bowl and chop at speed 8 for 5 seconds. Do not grind into powder, as you will want to remove the solids later.
2. Add milk, water, tea and honey. Speed 2, 80șC for 15 minutes.
3. Using a fine sieve, strain tea into a adequately sized jug and discard solids.
4. Return tea to TM bowl and return temperature to 80șC on speed 2. At 80șC, increase speed to 8 for 20 seconds.
5. Serve the delicious frothy chai in tea cups to your grateful guests.

Makes about 3-4 tea cups.

Tips/Notes:
Soy milk: The quality of your soy milk will greatly influence the taste of your chai. If you're in Australia, I HIGHLY recommend Bonsoy by spiral foods. It is incredibly creamy, and only uses natural ingredients. It contains kombu, a type of sea weed, that adds a great flavour and aids in the digestion of soy beans. It costs more, but is so much better than other brands available.

Spices:
Before you head to your local supermarket, check out Asian or Indian grocers for spices. More often than not, whole spices at large supermarkets are ridiculously high-priced. For example, four cinnamon sticks at Coles or Woolworths is around $2-4. I went to my local Asian grocer and bought a huge bag of them for $6.

Shopping in Innernorth, Canberra:
Good Asian grocer, for spices: Swan in Dickson. The people that work here are so friendly and helpful, I love them!
Cheapest Bonsoy: Watson IGA, $4.59 (that's the cheapest I have come across).
Organic spices: ANU co-op. If you haven't discovered this place yet, you should have! It is a bulk-buy heaven. Take your own containers and choose the spices you want. Price per kg. They also sell whole grains and beans, many dry goods.


So there you have it! My first recipe post as a one-day old thermomix owner. LOL!
—Enjoy.

[brazen20au]

well done sim!

[judydawn]

Have never tried Chai myself but my DD in Melbourne loves it.  Will have to make her a batch next time she comes over to visit.  It is always a thrill to post your first recipe - thanks Sim.

[gertbysea]

Well done Sim. Looks like a great recipe.

[Thermomixer]

Good work Sim- looking forward to many more - makes me think of the chai wallers that you see in travel programs - isn't it?


Also great tips - thanks

[cookie1]

Great effort Sim, after one day as an owner.
Chai always makes me think of an comedy programme set in India.  I think it was called "It ain't 'alf 'ot"

I tasted Chai at the Good Food and Wine show for the first time and liked it.

[Karen3]

Well done Sim!   Amazing effort from someone who has had their TM for less than 24 hours!!!!!!!
K3

[cookie1]

After reading your recipe Sim I've had several Chai teas. The first couple I didn't rave about but then it was the sort of taste I wanted to go back too.  I cheated though and used tea in the TMX bowl and made it with milk that way.  The only thing I can't get used to is the fact that it really does need the honey.
Thanks for helping me to discover a new taste.

[Sim]

I love chai... so I hope you enjoyed my recipe. I make it with the tea leaves in the milk for the whole 15mins of cooking, what method did you use? I don't think you can do much wrong, only I wouldn't recommend using black tea that has really specific taste like English breakfast or early grey.

There are few places around Canberra that make it well, but I always have to be so specific because many times I order 'Soy-infused Chai Tea', and then I explain that is and they say 'yep, i know the one, no worries' and then they come out with a chai latte made with chai 'powder' and I find it revolting! So unfortunately I think that is some peoples experience of Indian Chai.

The term 'Chai Latte' really bothers me too, because Chai is Indian for tea. Its tea dammit!

Anyway, there is my rant for today! lol

[cookie1]

Sim I have to admit I used tea bags( chai ones) and put them in the basket and added the milk to the bowl and put the TMX on speed 4 (I think) so that the milk churned around the tea bags and heated it to 70. Then poured it and added a tiny bit of honey.
Next time I go near a T2 shop I will get some Chai.

[Thermomixer]

Sim, how about a weak, skinny soy chai latte ?  How do you feel about that? 

[Sim]

Some brands are really nice... but twinings is a poor example. T2 does a nice one, try chucking in some fresh ginger in with it though ... just a little bit.

[Sim]

mmmm.... its the coffee mixed with spice flavours I don't like. I think its also because I prefer tea over coffee. People who love coffee might prefer the coffee flavour.

[Thermomixer]

Only revving you up - a bit like the people who go and ask for a weak, skinny, soy cappuccino with extra chocolate on top !!!  So wrong! 

[Sim]

ha ha! Oh good, because I was being very polite in my response but thinking to myself, 'no, yuck!'.
I believe in real coffee and real tea.... I saw powdered tea in the supermarket recently. It was marketed as 'instant'. I didn't understand why people would buy that. What is not instant about tea? It takes about 5 mins to make.