How To Make Ridiculously Easy And Delicious Chai

Because we aren't into overpriced coffee shops either.

Step 1: Start with whole spices.

food52.com

To make the best chai ever, start with whole spices and grind them yourself (except for the ginger; use ground ginger). This also saves money because you'll have a bunch of chai spice mixture to make tons of chai whenever you want.

You'll need: black peppercorns, whole cinnamon sticks, ground ginger, cardamom pods, whole cloves, and whole nutmeg to make your chai masala seasoning mix. You'll also need milk, water, and black tea like Ceylon or Assam later on to make the Chai tea. '

Step 2: Grind.

food52.com

To grind the spices just whiz them in a coffee grinder ...

Step 3: Sift out any large pieces.

food52.com

Sift each spice with a fine-mesh sifter and return any large pieces of spices to the grinder to powder them further.

Step 4: Combine the ground spices.

food52.com

Now that you have delicious, spicy garam masala, tea is just a heat-and-stir away. Or, you can get creative with your spice blend (make chai ice cream, chai-spiced monkey bread, or even ribs).

Step 5: Bring the ground spices to a simmer with water, milk, and some black tea.

food52.com

Once it comes to a simmer, cover and remove from the heat. Allow to steep for 5 minutes. Strain. Sweeten to Taste. Drink. Be warm. Feel happy.

Food52 is a community for people who love food and cooking. Follow us at Food52.com and on Twitter @Food52. And check out our new kitchen and home shop, Provisions!