How to Make Chai Tea

Earlier this week we made the masala, or spice mixture, to make chai tea. Today we're going to make the actual tea. This procedure is a bit more involved than just boiling water and brewing tea leaves. A cousin of J's makes a good cup in the microwave so one day I'll have to have him tell me how he does it. This way of making chai takes a good 15-20 minutes, but it's so worth it.

What you need:

- a pot
- mug
- teaspoon and tablespoon
- tiny sized grater (a zester?)
- cup sized strainer
- loose black tea - J uses this brand
- chai masala
- milk - this recipe works best with real milk. I'll post the recipe for non-dairy milk later.
- fresh ginger - I keep it in the freezer and grate it in frozen 

Measure a ¾ full mug of milk and pour into the pot. Add ¾ mug water. Turn on the heat to medium high. 

Next add the masala. I like it on the spicy side but if you're new to this authentic chai business start with ¾-1 teaspoon of masala. I think I add probably 1 ½ teaspoons per serving. 

Grate in some ginger. You don't need much. 

Once you add in the masala let the mixture heat until it starts bubbling up. 

Immediately turn it down to low and add a tablespoon black tea per serving. 

Not quite.

Ready!

Let the tea simmer for about 10 minutes, until it turns a nice golden color. Turn off the heat. (And turn up the beat.) Using the cup sized strainer, slowly pour the tea into the mug. It is best to do this in the sink just in case the strainer gets clogged and tea misses the mug. 

Drink up.

Now all you have to do is add your favorite sweetener and sip the delicious spiciness that is real chai. Add only a little of the sweetener at first and taste it. Like I said, I love a spicier chai but a spoon of honey really takes the edge off. 

I was making Babycakes NYC banana bread while enjoying this fine cuppa chai. With chocolate chunks, of course. I'd love to hear your chai making experiences. If you have questions, just ask!

Mama K's Chai Masala

I've been wanting to share this recipe for a long time. This is how the magic happens. Since Jay and I have been together I've been able to enjoy a cup of his mom's hot chai-- even when I wasn't approved of yet, his mom still made chai for all of us to share. There are so many chai combinations out there. Starbucks even has two now. But none of them compare to chai made from a recipe straight from the homeland. Most are way too sweet, not enough spice, not strong enough. Before she showed me how to make the masala, or spice mix, I tried various methods from whole spices to pre-blended teas. The real trick is to use ground spices directly in the milk/water mixture. This allows for the fullest flavor in my opinion. Our multicultural family loves spicy chai. My mom enjoys watching Jay make all of us a big pot of chai in the morning on our visits. Jay's mom loves being treated to chai once in a while, although she lives to feed others.
Today I share the chai masala recipe. Later this week I will fully explain the chai making process with step by step photos. (It's really not that hard, but I like a little mystery.)
Use fresh spices. Or be adventurous and grind your own in a spice grinder.

Mama K's Chai Masala
makes approximately 20 servings

4 tbls. + 1 tsp. ginger powder
4 ½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. cloves
1 tbls. cardamom

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. Store in a sealed glass jar for maximum freshness.

And that's it!

Tea Time Tasties - Pistachio, Cherry and Toasted Coconut Granola

granola + vintage Ball jar = love

Granola. The most versatile snack/breakfast food ever. It's like trail mix, or pasta salad . Millions of combinations. Seriously, millions. I like granola with milk (flax milk, coconut milk, almond coconut milk), homemade yogurt, or by the handful. It might even be good on ice cream, an idea that I just realized and will be trying shortly. When I realized I had to go gluten-free I thought my granola days were over. But NO! Oats don't contain gluten. They can be contaminated during the growing or processing process, but they carry that little gluten protein. Thanks to Bob's Red Mill I can have oatmeal and granola forever. 

I've tried a few combinations in the past few months. Last time I really just put a bunch of random ingredients together. Today I took a suggestion from a recipe my mom sent me from Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients. This granola recipe called for egg whites which seemed very odd to me. Although I have been eating eggs again thanks to my daughter -I just wanted to eat omelets the whole pregnancy- I do not think they belong in granola. It also used a ridiculous amount of oats, like six cups. So I combined my go to granola recipe à la A Beautiful Mess with one of the suggested combinations in Everyday Foods, and created this delicious granola. I used both recipes as starting off points and went with my gut. As all granola making experiences should be.

A few months ago I toasted coconut so hopefully it is still eatable. Because I'm eating it. I've also had a variety of dried fruits in the pantry and I think the jar I finished was full of dried cherries. We'll go with that. Dried fruit never goes bad, right?

So now I'm currently snacking on this while drinking Mother's Milk Tea by Traditional Medicinals and watching the Orioles play the Pirates. And my husband isn't even home to see me watching baseball without him. (He's at the game.)

Pistachio, Cherry and Toasted Coconut Gluten-free Granola
Adapted from the A Beautiful Mess and Power Foods recipes

2 cups gluten-free oats
¾ cup pistachios
¾ cup sunflower seeds
⅓ cup hemp hearts
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
pinch of powdered ginger
⅓ cup olive oil
⅓ cup honey (I have convinced my better half that local is the only way)
splash of vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey is gluten-free)
1 cup dried cherries
½ cup toasted coconut

Preheat oven for 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together all of the dry ingredients, except for the cherries and coconut. Add in the oil and honey and mix well. Spread in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for ten minutes, stir, bake for another ten minutes. If you want it extra crispy leave in for another five minutes, but it should be pretty well done by now. Transfer to a large bowl so it isn't in contact with the hot pan and let cool for five minutes. Add in the cherries and coconut and mix. Allow to cool completely then put in your favorite granola holding vessel. I like old, giant Ball jars. 

Snack on with a cup of your favorite tea.

Grab a cuppa and let me tell you a tale.

a cup of coffee. Franklin's.

Wow. It's been quite a year. The biggest thing? I had a baby. I had all these tea posts lined up in my head, all the tea I wanted to drink and experiment with and then pow! I was pregnant. At first I didn't have any caffeine. But I gradually started drinking a cup a day. And then came the coffee. I've always enjoyed super sugary espresso beverages but while I was pregnant and since she's been born I've had a coffee obsession. [insert horrified gasp here] My coffee tastes matured from sugar syrup with a splash of coffee and some sort of milk to full on coffee or cappuccino and maybe some homemade fancy syrup or honey. Then, being the Anglophile I am, I had to try the biggest coffee beverage craze in the UK/NZ/OZ: the flat white. It's like the best ratio of coffee, tiny bubble foam and espresso. Not too milky, not too espresso-y. It's creamy espresso. Confession: today I had a meeting at our headquarters so I attempted to plan my trek around hitting up the only coffee shop around here that has the flat white on their menu. Once I left the house and dropped my daughter off at day care I did not have time enough to go to that one coffee shop. But I did go to my favorite coffee shop for a latte instead. And that was probably better. 

Wait. This is a tea blog. Not a coffee blog. 

Now that I'm back to tea again -although I never truly left it- I have some fabulous plans for this blog. I will be sharing my recipe (or rather my mother-in-laws recipe) for chai masala straight from the homeland. Then the proper way to brew a perfect cup of chai. And of course, how to make that perfect cup of chai with non-dairy milk. Some tea reviews, tea related reading, tea travel, hopefully some tea crafts and random musings. Maybe some coffee talk thrown in. Until then, enjoy a cup of your favorite brew, whether it is coffee or tea. 

EPIC FAIL and OMG!

Wow. I fail at blogging. I was so excited to start talking to the ether about tea and then April hit and I retreated into a cave. A tealess cave. THE HORROR!

Here are my plans, and hopefully things you will look forward to...
Homemade Chai Masala! Homemade Chai - Mama Kapadia Style! A NYC mini tea adventure - in which I make an obscene purchase on very little! More tea reviews! A San Francisco tea adventure this summer! More recipes! More shenanigans!

The Chai Masala recipe should be up very, very soon. I believe I have perfected it after a bit of trial and error, but more on that later.

From Republic of Tea

Last week I was at one of my favorite grocery stores, MOM's Organic Market, and they have a little coffee/tea stand for shoppers. Well, that day I went over to get a cup of anything really and saw they had samples of Republic of Tea's Red Velvet Cuppa Chocolate Tea. Now, I've seen this on their website and in their catalogue before and shied away from it because I am not a fan of red velvet cake. [standing on soap box] I don't understand why I would want to put a bunch of food colouring in a perfectly good cake. It doesn't make it taste any different. Maybe the original red velvet was coloured with something other than Red 40? [stepping down to sip tea] But I figured, hey I'll give it a try! And obviously I know that the red velvetyness in the tea is not the same as the cake velvetyness. This red velvet is a rooibos based tea with beetroot bits (nature's red dye!), sweet blackberry leaves, chocolate and vanilla flavoring. And it's gluten free. I made my self a little compostable cuppa, put a tiny bit of hemp milk and honey and got back to grocery shopping. Then I took a sip. And I stopped the cart. Took another sip. Then said, "OMG!", in my head I hope. Note, I did not say "OH MY GOD!" I said, "OMG!" It was that good.

Perfect bit of sweetness... almost fruity but hints of chocolate. This would make the best dessert tea! Especially because it's caffeine-free. If you're one to avoid dessert but still want that sweet treat after dinner grab this tea right up. I saved some to have Jay try when I got home. I handed him the cup and said, "TRY THIS! IT IS SO GOOD!" (imagine I said it in Agnes's voice in Despicable Me when she says IT'S SO FLUFFY! thx.) I don't really think he likes sweet teas, or heavily flavored teas, but he did like this one. I am very tempted to buy a canister of this tea to have on special occasions. Who am I kidding? Do I save anything for special occasions? Nope. Also, the tea turned red.

Sweet and Spicy Makes Everything Nice

You know what, it sucks when you are so engrossed in a story and you think it's going to end well but then, BAM! Tragedy. And then you think, "What the--!" Yes, I know not all stories end in happiness and bliss. But when two characters finally realize they love each other, or other characters deal with unimaginable horror, their tales should end well for them. They deserve that, don't they? But what did I have to get me through the heart-wrenching tales of woe? A good cuppa tea.

It's been an odd week and you know what makes that better? Tea! I've had a lot of Strawberry Ginger tea. When I first saw it I thought, "Strawberry and ginger? Does that go together?" But I thought I'd give it a try. And you know what? It actually does work! The sweetness of the strawberry balances out the spiciness of the ginger. I would totally drink this as an afternoon pick me up, when I really shouldn't have caffeine or I'll be up all night but need a little kick. The bit of ginger will surely boost your brain with its awesomeness and the strawberry will satisfy your sweet tooth. You know what else adds to the sweetness? There's apple and blackberry, two more of my favorite fruits. 

I just checked out the David's Tea website and saw that they have an interesting chai called Bollywood Chai. It has chai spices (included peppercorns!) but also has candy covered fennel seeds. Indian restaurants usually have these by the door as a breath freshener. I will have to try this and report back! 

Towards the end of April, Jay and I are heading to NYC for a weekend. I have a whole list of tea establishments we will have to go to. Seriously. Like 8 places. I'm looking forward to it! Not to mention our hotel is 5 minutes walk from Babycakes.

What is your favorite tea of the moment?

Tea for the Soul

The eventual topic of this post: Elderberry Apricot Tea

Yesterday was a major coffee day. I go to coffee when I'm feeling frazzled. If I do drink coffee it has to be good coffee. Or full of sugary syrups. We have maybe 4 types of coffee in the cupboard at work but I had to go to the local coffee shop, The Big Bean, to get a pound of their Big Bean Blend. And actually, their coffee is quite tasty. (They also have some yummy teas!) But you know what happens when I drink coffee? I start feeling physically what I'm feeling mentally. Or maybe it makes my mental crap even more out there. Or maybe it's my imagination.

Anyway, by the time I got home I still felt out of sorts and I realized all of what I just said about coffee. Yes a nice cup of coffee now and then is great-- but personally I shouldn't be pounding it, especially when I already feel funky. Now let's get to the good part: soul rejuvenation via tea.

Over the weekend a friend and I went to Lancaster, PA for the American Quilt Society Quilt Show. I'd never been to Lancaster before but I definitely want to go back. It's so artsy! So much history! Midway through checking out all the booths and quilts on display we needed to recharge. My friend knows about all my food allergies/alternative eating style so she had done a bit of research beforehand and found the Lancaster Central Market. Apparently this market is the oldest continuously running farmers' market in the country. The building was old and gorgeous (and of course I didn't take pictures)-- all brick and super high ceilings. The stalls made each of their spaces feel like you were walking into a tiny shop not part of a large market. It felt intimate but also like a communal gathering place as well. There are these funky triangular tables and stools at the front for people to sit and eat the goods they just purchased. Side note: we sat with quilt world "royalty" in my friends words. My mom and grandma were equally excited.

There's a booth called PureBlend tea. They sell loose leaf tea and fancy tea beverages. Remember my rant about finding the perfect chai tea? Well, this chai tea came pretty close to perfection. It was a caramel chocolate chai I'm pretty sure, and she made it vegan for me. I have a feeling that it included their Dark Chocolate Chai. It was a bit spicy but rich, and not over the top. It was the craziest combo but it worked. So while she was making my amazing chai I looked at what other teas I could get loose leaf to try. I've been a big fan of elderberry for a few years, mostly thanks to St Germain liqueur. Then I started taking elderberry syrup for colds. It's the tastiest "medicine" ever. When I saw Elderberry Apricot Tea I had to get some. Then I saw Earl Grey Symphony (I must try every Earl Grey. It's my fave.). And then the girl told me I'd get a discount so... I also got Exotic Black tea.

Remember I said that it's been a hardcore coffee week? Well I've been trying to relax with a nice cup of herbal tea in the evening to wind down. Elderberry Apricot Tea is the perfect wind down tea. It smells floral and fruity. Just smelling it could calm me down. I've had some really fruity teas and they end up being overwhelmingly fruity. This tea is a nice balance of fruity and floral. It has a base of honeybush tea which is a relative of rooibos. It's still caffeine free and, to me, is slightly milder in flavor. Sometimes I think the taste of rooibos overpowers the other bits in a blended tea so the honeybush was a great choice. The fruitiness makes for a great wind down tea after a long day but I have a feeling it will make a delicious iced tea once it starts getting warmer. Another benefit of this tea is the healthy goodness coming from the elderberry. It's got loads of Vitamin C. I found an ultra researched write up on elderberry by USDA which talks about historic uses of the entire plant-- quite interesting. Also, if you're sick of this cold weather check out The Herb Companion's article on hot beverages to warm out inside and out.

I sent some to my mom-- we like to share tea-- and she also loved it. I'm running out of my little two ounce packet so I may have to buy more very soon!