Experimenting with Chai Lattes

The local Indian restaurant where I grew up offered endless cups of delicious chai that they dubbed "Punjabi-style chai lattes." It serves as inspiration for my explorations into the realm.

This first batch of chai was bitter, but thankfully the milk covereth that particular mistake.

For the second batch, I managed to secure all of the spices I wanted to try--especially the key ingredient, cardamom.

Here's the current state of the recipe after those two trials:

Chai latte

• 8 cups water
• 2 in. piece of ginger, sliced

Heat water and ginger, bring to bubbling and simmer

• 4 tsp black peppercorn kernels
• 20 whole cloves
• 12 cardamom pods, cracked -- green best
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• 1 T fennel seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds, cracked

Toast in skillet on medium heat until aromatic
Into water, add:

• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• Sweetener (agave nectar)

Then add spices to water and simmer for ~5 minutes

• 6 cups milk

In separate pot, medium heat milk and whisk continuously to froth it

• 3 T black tea leaves

Add leaves to the water pot, steep for 7 minutes
Strain into container when finished