Making your Chai Tea Latte
Not everyone pops to the coffee shop for a cappuccino or a latte, some of you head for the tea instead. So, we didn’t want to leave you out. If you love a chai tea latte and are missing this little treat (because they’re shut), we’ll show you how to make your own. The great thing about making your own is you can make it to your taste. You can alter the amount of tea, spice, sweetener, so you can get the recipe just right for you. And, if you’re not a fan of cow’s milk you can substitute it for an alternative of your choice.
You will need (serves 4):
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns
- 10 whole cloves
- 6 cracked green cardamom pods
- 4 cups of water
- 1 piece of ginger, sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp of loose-leaf black tea or 6 black tea bags
- ½ cup of sweetener of your choice (sugar, honey maple syrup etc)
- 3 cups of cold milk (your choice)
How to:
- Place the cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, cloves and cracked cardamom pods into a saucepan over a medium heat to toast. It should take approximately 3-4 minutes, occasionally shake the pan until you can smell the fragrant spices.
- Add the water and the ginger (a 2-inch piece is enough) to the pan and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and add the tea (either bags or loose). Cover the pan and allow the tea to steep for 10 minutes.
- While still warm, add the sweetener of your choice, stirring until combined or dissolved.
- Strain the tea using a mesh strainer into a jug or a teapot. You can throw away the spices and tea leaves or bags. Now store the tea in the fridge or keep it warm while you froth the milk (if you want to drink it right away).
- If you’re using whole milk, you can froth it by putting it in an airtight jar and giving it a good shake or whisk it over a medium-high heat. If you’re using non-dairy alternatives then you can use an immersion blender until it’s frothy before heating it.
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan over a low heat until it is warm.
- Pour ¾ of warm tea into the base of each mug. Add ½ cup of warm milk and stir. Top it off with a spoon of milk froth.
Sound too much like hard work? Here’s a quicker way to enjoy a chai tea latte:
You will need:
- Chai teabags
- 1/3 cup of hot water
- 2/3 cup of frothed warm milk
How to:
- Boil the kettle. In a tall glass mug, place a chai tea bag and pour the boiled water over the bag (about 1/3 of the way up).
- Leave the tea to brew for 3-4 minutes. While brewing, froth up your milk. You’ll need enough to fill the rest of the mug.
- Once the tea has brewed, take the teabag out of the mug and pour in the frothed milk.
- Finish the top with a spoon of milk froth and an optional dusting of cinnamon.
If you’re having a go at making your own chai tea latte, take a photo and tag us on Instagram @hydratem8
