The origins of this recipe come from one given to me many years ago by a Red Man from the Beltane Fire Festival - I’ve tweaked and changed it a lot over the years, and have finally come up with my favourite recipe, which I thought I’d share!
- 25 Green Cardamom pods
- 12 Black Cardamom pods
- 1 small dry chilli (not too fiery!)
- 15 Cloves
- 20g Black Peppercorns
- 75g Cinnamon Bark
- 60 Allspice Berries
- 2tsp Coriander Seeds
- 1 medium Nutmeg
Place all these ingredients in a coffee grinder and coarsely grind. Add:
- 20g Ground Ginger
- 2-inch stick Root Ginger, finely chopped
- 75g Loose Leaf Black Tea
Mix well together and store in an airtight container.
To make a single cup, place 1 heaped teaspoon in a teapot for 1, steep for at least 5 minutes, then strain and serve.
To make chai for 50 people, put the whole lot in a piece of muslin, tied up tigtly. Place in a pan containing 50 mugfuls of water (around 25 pints) and bring to the boil, simmer for 5-10 minutes, then take off the heat and serve.
In all cases, chai should be served sweet, with milk, the thicker the better (condensed milk is traditional in many parts of the world).
