Chai for days . . . literally.

For better or worse, I’ve been forced to kick my coffee and tea shop habit in the last 9 months. Now, in the 3rd trimester of my own personal caffeine deprivation nightmate, I finally have a solid at-home routine down.

French press coffee just hasn’t been cutting it for me during the pandemic. It doesn’t feel special or comforting. Who knows. But lately, I’ve been making big batches of chai for the week and keeping it in the fridge. I pour myself a mug first thing in the morning and heat it up in the microwave. Sometimes—when I’m feeling extra fancy or sleepy—I spike it with cold brew (I use this, this, and this for my cold brew) and a little extra maple syrup. It feels nice.

Chai isn’t hard to make, but it does take a little extra love and care. It’s delicious, obviously, but I think the love and care is what makes this routine feel more like self-care than daily drudgery.

Note: I based this recipe on Carla Lalli Music’s “BA’s Best Masala Chai” (Yeah, I know). I love her method, but I like my chai super spicy and complex . . . so I added a bunch of extra fun stuff. These spices—cardamom in particular—undergo a massive white-people-grocery-store markup. You can buy all of these spices inexpensively at Indian or Asian markets. The bulk section at your local natural food store may also be a great place to stock up on chai ingredients.

Ingredients:

Makes about 8 servings. This recipe can be halved or doubled.

• 1/4 cup loose black tea; I like to use CTC Assam, which is exceptionally brisk and holds up well to milk and sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 5 1/2 cups whole, 2%, or oat milk
• 7 cups water
• 3-inch piece of ginger, grated; I keep great quantities of peeled ginger in a ziploc back in my freezer at all times
• 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks, crushed with your palm or the flat side of a knife
• 28 green cardamom pods or 2 1/2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, crushed gently
• 1 star anise pod
• A generous, two-finger pinch of cracked black pepper
• A small pinch of cayenne
• A small pinch of salt
• A small pinch of ground clove

Equipment:

• A large soup or stock pot
• Fine-mesh sieve
• Funnel (if storing)
• Bottles (if storing); I like to use old GT’s kombucha bottles

Go rogue:

• Swap in some lapsang souchang to add a smokey note
• Swap honey, white sugar, or brown sugar for the maple syrup; honey is sweeter than both sugar and maple syrup, so you might want to reduce the initial amount to 1/8 cup and adjust from there
• Use full-fat coconut milk (from the can) for a really indulgent treat
• Try creating your own, non-traditional flavor profile by using unexpected aromatics, like rosemary, bay, or citrus zest. I think cardmom, orange, and cinnamon would be delicious.

1. Add the water, ginger, cinnamon, and star anise to a large soup or stock pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and bring to a strong simmer. Let bubble away for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes, the infusion should be aromatic and reduced somewhat.
2. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the tea and all remaining spices. Let the mixture infuse for 3 minutes, stirring once or twice .
3. Add the milk and maple syrup, and bring the tea up to a boil. Watch the tea carefully—milk loves to boil over. Gently boil for about 5 minutes or until the chai is creamy and very slightly reduced. Taste and adjust maple syrup and cayenne to your preference.
4. Remove from the heat, and let cool for a few minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. I like to line my sieve with coffee filters for an extra-silky result, but this probably isn’t necessary.
5. Serve or transfer to bottles. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.