Friday, January 23, 2009

Chai Black Tea

Chai Black Tea 1

I had a bag of cardamom pods sitting in my spice drawer for nearly a year that just begged for me to do something with them. When I had decided to make pumpkin pie from scratch for my Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner with an Asian Fusion Twist, I figured I'd add some Indian spices. The only dessert-like Indian spice I could think of was cardamom. Which then led me to consider throwing the pods into some soy milk to make chai black tea.

Do you like my attempt to make the cardamom pods look arty? I snapped various pictures of my tea cup and it just looked so boring. Then I remembered Diana of Appetite for China's pretty photo of her kashmiri chai. So that's my attempt at food styling.

My method is pretty simple. I just added black tea, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom to soy milk and let it steep for a few minutes. The cardamom and ginger were very strong, so I suggest going easy on those ingredients.

Chai Black Tea 3

Chai Black Tea

You'll need:
2 cups soy milk or regular milk
1 tblsp black tea leaves
2 slices ginger
6 green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick

Optional: Add as much sugar as you'd like.

Add all the ingredients to the soy milk. On medium-low heat, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, being careful not to boil the milk. Pour into a teapot and let the chai black tea steep for a few minutes.

Add sugar if you wish.

Pour and serve with cake or your afternoon tea munchie of choice.

Chai Black Tea 2

Enjoy!

I'm submitting this recipe to Regional Recipes, a food blogging event created by Darlene of Blazing Hot Wok, in which a different culture and cuisine is explored each month. Please read the Regional Recipe rules to see if you'd like to participate. Darlene is this month's host and we're spotlighting India.
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16 comments:

  1. EatTravelEatFebruary 18, 2009 at 11:30 PM

    I like the styling of the cardmom pods. It kind of looks like a bit of a flower blossom near the top and then a pot or roots on the bottom. Like the cups, plates, and teapots! They are very nice and I like the colors and the shine from the green teapot and cup/saucer. I like the photo with the cake and teapot the most :).
    This is interesting as I have never tried chai tea before.

    ReplyDelete
  2. dpFebruary 19, 2009 at 9:04 AM

    I think the styling is perfect!

    For me it wouldn't be the ginger that would be too strong. My mom made me drink ginger water (just ginger steeped in water, no sugar) the entire week after I gave birth to my son to speed my recovery.

    I tend to shy away from the cinnamon. I like a hint of it my chai, but most brands use so much of it. But if I make it myself, I can just omit the cinnamon.

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  3. pamFebruary 19, 2009 at 4:54 PM

    Beautiful pictures!

    I have some cardamom pds leftover from my regional recipe. I'll have to give this a try.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RitaFebruary 20, 2009 at 8:01 AM

    Oh, this tea sounds so good!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousFebruary 20, 2009 at 11:51 AM

    Oh, that cut and saucer is really sweet beautifully complementing the pods. And perfect for your cup of tea! I remember buying some cardamom pods for some Indian recipe, but haven't used them since.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wandering ChopsticksFebruary 20, 2009 at 3:48 PM

    ETE,
    The teapot was only $2.99 from Marshall's on account of that tiny chip on the rim. The cup and saucer set were the same price too. Good deal!

    Darlene,
    I'm a cinnamon nut. But the stick of cinnamon gives out less then powder so I it's not too strong. I love ginger too, but the ginger really, really got infused.

    Pam,
    Or you can just brew a normal pot of tea and add a few cardamom pods. So easy when it's already there.

    Rita,
    It's a nice light pick-me-up in the middle of the day.

    Nikki,
    Sadly, I haven't touched my cardamom since I made this! I actually bought them with plans to make kulfi, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

    ReplyDelete
  7. EatTravelEatFebruary 20, 2009 at 8:28 PM

    That is a great deal! At our local Marshalls things don't go that low for prices. They offer though lots of things. I spied a plate one day that looked similar to yours.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wandering ChopsticksFebruary 21, 2009 at 8:02 PM

    ETE,
    I'm always scouring the clearance area of Marshall's, but the teapot and tea cup isn't really quality so it was cheap.

    ReplyDelete
  9. EatTravelEatFebruary 21, 2009 at 10:09 PM

    Yeah, lots of the plates that have chipped parts in them go for really cheap. It's sad sometimes to see some of the really nice crockery get chipped though! But even if it is chipped it still looks great.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wandering ChopsticksFebruary 22, 2009 at 1:07 PM

    ETE,
    Yup. I also get a lot of my plates from thrift stores. Great bargains there!

    ReplyDelete
  11. JeannieFebruary 23, 2009 at 10:09 AM

    Thanks for the recipe! I want to try it next time I get cardamom. Any idea where I can buy it? It wouldn't be at my local Food-4-Less huh? Btw, love your effort with the photos, good job! :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Tony YarbrayFebruary 23, 2009 at 4:19 PM

    Yum yet again... If I may I would like mine with coconut milk and a bit of honey.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Heidi Leon MongesFebruary 25, 2009 at 3:30 AM

    you know what Miss Chopsticks? I have all at hand, and I'm totally chai lover. I already pour the water on my kettle.....thanks

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wandering ChopsticksMarch 3, 2009 at 2:04 AM

    Jeannie,
    Maybe at India Sweets and Spices? I bought mine at the Punjab Grocery Store in San Gabriel.

    Cringe Schrapnel,
    Ooh, coconut milk and honey sounds lovely.

    Heidi,
    I can just picture you having a cuppa right now. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. JeannieMarch 4, 2009 at 1:55 PM

    Oh no, I used to walk past there EVERYDAY to the bus stop. I'll see if there's any similar stores in the SB :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wandering ChopsticksMarch 16, 2009 at 1:57 AM

    Jeannie,
    If you don't find any, I can send you some of mine. I don't cook with cardamom much at all.

    ReplyDelete

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