Overcome Your Gut + Digestive Issues With Ancestral Nutrition
Homemade Chai
Chai is a traditional Indian beverage you can have hot on a cold morning or iced on a hot summer day. It has black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, pepper corns, ginger, and your milk of choice. Chai is a great choice if you are looking for a tasty morning beverage with less caffeine than coffee. Black tea (which is the caffeinated component of chai) has an average of 47 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup (1), while coffee has an average of 95 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup (2). Additionally, the spices in chai help to balance the caffeine and lessen its effects. If you would prefer a completely caffeine free chai, check out my herbal chai recipe.
The recipe I am sharing with you today is based off the chai my dad used to make for me when I was a little girl. I’ve been making this chai ever since my dad first taught me which must have been around 10 years ago. It’s quite delicious and I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.
With love from my kitchen to yours,
Kayley
P.S. I usually use half and half in my chai, but if you do not eat dairy or would prefer almond milk, you may like my homemade almond milk recipe.
Homemade Chai Recipe
AuthorKayley O'BrienMakes 10 tbsp chai mix, enough for 10 16 oz cups of chai.
First make the chai mix. Brake, cut, or crush the cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods. Then place them in a food processor or mortar and pestle. Add the cloves and pepper corns and blend or crush till coarse (like in the picture above). Then mix in the black tea and transfer to a jar to store.
To make a 16 oz cup of chai, combine 1 tbsp chai mix, a 1 cm x 1 cm 1/2 cm piece of ginger, and 18 oz of water in a small pot. If you want to make more than 1 cup, multiple the measurements by the number of cups you want. Bring to a covered boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Then strain the chai and rinse the pot. Put the strained chai back in the pot with the half and half or milk of your choice and bring to an uncovered simmer. Watch carefully, because it can boil over really easy. Then transfer the chai to a mug, stir in a little honey if you want, and enjoy! You can also let it cool then refrigerate it for a few hours for an iced chai.
Ingredients
Directions
First make the chai mix. Brake, cut, or crush the cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods. Then place them in a food processor or mortar and pestle. Add the cloves and pepper corns and blend or crush till coarse (like in the picture above). Then mix in the black tea and transfer to a jar to store.
To make a 16 oz cup of chai, combine 1 tbsp chai mix, a 1 cm x 1 cm 1/2 cm piece of ginger, and 18 oz of water in a small pot. If you want to make more than 1 cup, multiple the measurements by the number of cups you want. Bring to a covered boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Then strain the chai and rinse the pot. Put the strained chai back in the pot with the half and half or milk of your choice and bring to an uncovered simmer. Watch carefully, because it can boil over really easy. Then transfer the chai to a mug, stir in a little honey if you want, and enjoy! You can also let it cool then refrigerate it for a few hours for an iced chai.
Works Cited
1. Wartenberg, Lisa. “How Much Caffeine Does Tea Have Compared with Coffee?” Healthline. 7 October 2019. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-in-tea-vs-coffee
2. Bjarnadottir, Adda. “https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-caffeine-in-coffee.” Healthline. 3 June 2017. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-caffeine-in-coffee
About Kayley
Kayley is a certified gut health nutrition coach who helps people to overcome their chronic gut and digestive issues at the root using the principles of ancestral nutrition and holistic health. (Continue Reading Here)
