Brew your own chai tea

Homemade chai tea

This is such a great drink for wintertime. Overall Chai tea made with the following spices can help reduce inflammation, improve heart health, help fight off colds (to name a few benefits).  All of the spices used are digestives, helping stoke the fire of your metabolism. Most also have immune supportive properties; decongesting, dispersing action to help dispel the cold from your body. Helping spread Qi and thus warmth around the body.

This is also a perfect vehicle to add other healing herbs and tonics such as medicinal mushrooms, chaga and reishi especially but also he shou wu would of shilajit would be nice to add (a pinch of herb/tonic per cup of chai would do).

Once brewed you can keep the chai in the fridge and then reheat it per cup when you feel a craving for it.

Ingredients

(This is a large batch, you can easily halve it)

1 litres of water

1/2 tbsp Ginger (dried pieces) or 10 thin slices fresh

1 tbsp Cinnamon (chips), or 2 sticks

1/2tbsp whole Peppercorns

1/2 tsp whole Cloves

3 Star Anise

12 Cardamom pods

1/2 whole Nutmeg

4 rooibos or black tea bags 

a pinch of Himalayan salt 

To make Chai Latte - 2 cups 

100ml above brewed chai tea (half of two tea cups)

2-3 tbsp soaked cashews (soak for minimum 4hrs) // 1-2 tbsp almond or cashew butter 

1 tbsp lucuma 

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

1. Place ginger, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg in a saucepan. 

2. Place the remaining spices in kitchen towel and lightly crush with a rolling pin, alternatively if you have a mortal and pestle use this. 

3. Add the crushed spices to the pan. 

4. Add the water. 

5. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. 

6. Remove from heat, add the eat bags, and steep 4 minutes. 

7. Strain the tea & spices (you can reuse the spices again if you like)

8. *LATTE - For the latte version add either some soaked cashews or some almond or cashew butter to a high speed blender a pinch extra salt, 1 tbsp lucuma and 1/2 tbsp maple syrup blend until frothy!

Chai tea spice benefits 

~ Cinnamon is a digestive supporter by helping circulation. It’s also great to help lower blood sugar (glucose spikes) and has high antioxidant properties. Because of its warming properties, within Ayurveda, it is seen as a good spice to help balance Kapha and good for balancing Vata as well. Pitta types can consume cinnamon, too, but in relatively smaller quantities.

~ Cardamon has been used within TCM as a spirit calmer. Therefore it’s also a good addition to nighttime sleep teas. It is often used to aid in blood circulation, detoxing and weight loss. In Ayurvedic practices cardamon is excellent for balancing Kapha, particularly for the stomach and the lungs. It is also useful for pacifying Vata.

~ Ginger has a warming action (fighting the winter chills), drying, helps improves circulation, eliminate water retention. Both within TCM and Ayurveda ginger is used to help bring about circulation and warmth. 

~ Black pepper can help regulate blood sugar, it has anti-inflammatory properties and helps stimulate hydrochloric acid in your stomach that helps break down food. Low hydrochloric acid can be a leading factor for digestive weaknesses such as SIBO and leaky gut. 

~ Nutmeg has been used in traditional medicine to help bring about sleep, (grated into a hot cup of milk and cinnamon), it is also a digestive and boost skin health and immune system and alleviate oral conditions. 

~ Clove is also rich in antioxidants which help fight oxidative stress that can cause various dysfunctions in the body basically ageing us faster. Within Ayurveda, clove it is considered balancing for all three doshas (Pitta, Vata, Kapha), although it will still increase Pitta (heat) when taken in excess. 

~ Star Anise highly rich in antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties. Has anti-parasitic effects and helps to expel parasitic worms from the body. Rich in antioxidants, reducing the free radical damage in the body. Within Ayurveda star anise helps pacify Vata and Kapha dosha while increasing Pitta in the body. Anise can induce abortion. Therefore, it should not be taken during pregnancy.