This is my favorite chai recipe. I adapted it from my one of my favorite cookbooks ever, Extending The Table.

Spiced Tea (Nepal)

3 T. black tea leaves or 3 tea bags
3 c. water
2 c. milk
4-5 whole cloves
5-6 cardamom pods, cracked open, or 1/2 t. ground cardamom
1 cinnamon stick, or 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
sugar to taste (1/4 c., more or less)

Heat all ingredients in a sauce pan until the chai breaks a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until either [a] you want to drink it, or [b] most of the tea leaves have sunk to the bottom, about ten minutes.

Strain and serve hot.

Servings: 6
Cooking time: 10-20 minutes

Recipe Source
Adapted from:
Author: Selma Unruh
Source: Extending the Table… A World Community Cookbook (1991, Herald Press, Scottdale PA)

(Note to self: When making chai, and after not turning the flame down quite low enough to simmer, DON’T GO UPSTAIRS TO BLOG ABOUT YOUR RECIPE. Because if you do, when you come back downstairs to the kitchen, you’ll see a nasty burnt-on scritchy MESS all over the top of your stove. Bah.)