Rainy Day Honey Chai

I’ve been holding out for a rainy day to post this recipe, and while it’s not actually raining as I type this, the sky is gloomy enough that it feels right. On rainy days, all I want is tea and a book.  Well, realistically, most days all I want is tea and a book.  But listening to raindrops makes the whole experience at least ten times better.

For a successful rainy reading day, any cup of tea would do.  I could grab a bag of tea, heat up some water, and have the cup ready in under 10 minutes.  But if I’m just staying inside all day anyway, why shouldn’t I spend an hour simmering chai on the stove?  If you’re looking for instant gratification, this isn’t your tea.  However, if you’d like something with a little more liveliness than an ordinary bag of chai, a slow-cooked, whole spice method might be more your style.  Chai is probably the coziest form of tea there ever was, which means it’s perfect for a lazy day.

There’s no limit to the number of ways to make a good cup of chai, but this particular spice balance is my favorite right now.  All of the spices in my ingredient list are whole spices rather than ground.  You can strain them out after cooking, and you’ll end up with a robust flavor without the grainy texture that ground spices would leave you with.  The ginger root, cinnamon sticks, and peppercorns are easy to find at just about any grocery store, but I found the rest of my spices in bulk at an international market.

This chai makes the house smell amazing while it’s cooking, so throw some on the stove, relax for an hour, and enjoy. The recipe makes enough for about 3 cups of tea, but I don’t see any reason for you to share if you don’t want to…

If you try this Rainy Day Honey Chai at home, I’d love to hear what you think! Share pictures with me on social media by tagging @thesavvyplate on Instagram or by mentioning my page The Savvy Plate Blog on Facebook!

You might also like: Chai Concentrate

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Rainy Day Honey Chai

Course Drinks

Cuisine Indian

Servings 2

Author Savannah

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups milk
• 4 bags Darjeeling tea or any black tea if you can't find Darjeeling
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 12 green cardamom pods crack the pods a little by hitting them with the flat edge of a knife
• 2 star anise pods
• 5 cloves
• 40 black peppercorns
• 3 " fresh ginger root
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp honey per serving

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients except honey to a pot on the stove.  Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour.  Keep the lid cracked open slightly to allow steam to escape.
3. Strain out spices over a bowl or pitcher.
4. Serve in your favorite mug or teacup, sweetening with 1-2 teaspoons of honey per serving.