A nice cup of tea...Masala chai made easy

Oh, I love drinking tea and coffee!  There is just something about starting the day with a hot drink.  And whilst I am trying not to overdo the coffee consumption, a nice cup of tea can't be that bad for you, can it?

Masala chai - a spiced tea

For a while now I have been meaning to make masala chai, a spiced milky Indian tea.  Now, from what I understand this is usually quite sweet but in my recipe I cut down on the sugar since I always have my tea and coffee unsweetened.  It was delicious with all those wonderful flavours of the spices and yet I don't have to fear that my new addiction will cost me my teeth.  Yes, after having had just one cup of the stuff I am already hooked :-)  No doubt families all over India have their own recipes for this and I bet it tastes different in every other household.

If you don't have the time to make this from scratch whenever you fancy a cup, why not put ground spices together with a little dried milk in a jar and when you are ready for your fragrant tea, simply pop a tea bag into a mug, add some of the mix and pour hot water from the kettle on top.  Leave to steep and enjoy - couldn't be easier!
Masala chai - spiced tea

Ingredients:
350ml water
a 4cm stick of cinnamon or 2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 cardamom pods
6 cloves
4 black peppercorns
a small piece of fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger
150ml milk (or used dried milk powder - see post above)
2 tea bags (black tea such as Assam, Darjeeling,...)
optional: 2 - 3 tsp of sugar or some honey

Method:

1. Place all the spices and the water in a pot and bring to the boil.
2. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the milk and sugar and leave to simmer for another couple of minutes.
4. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags and steep for 3 minutes.
5. Strain & enjoy!