I grew up watching Indian movies, and there were always scenes of someone ordering, serving, or drinking chai, so obviously I had to try it.
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I started buying chai in the form of teabags, then powdered, but it was until a friend made chai from scratch for me that I realized how much better it was. Of course, I took her recipe and tried it myself, and over the years, I added and removed ingredients until I arrived at this recipe. I called this "MY" recipe because I tweaked it to suit my taste. It's not complicated and doesn't require a lot of ingredients.
I usually average the quantity of my ingredients, but for the sake of providing a good recipe, I will add measurements.
You will need (you can increase or decrease to your liking):
For one serving
2 cups milk (I use almond or oat milk).
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (you can use powdered ginger, I never did because I feel that it wouldn't taste the same).
1 1/2 teaspoon grounded green cardamom or 4-6 cardamom pods.
1 1/2 tablespoon loose black tea/ tea leaves, or 2 black tea bags.
2-3 star anise (optional).
1 stick cinnamon (optional).
Honey to taste.
How to:
Add the milk, ginger, cardamom, star anise, and cinnamon to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat.
Add the black tea to the saucepan and reduce to low heat. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and leave to cool (not cold).
After cooling, strain the chai into a coffee mug and add honey to taste.
Stir and enjoy.
Disclaimer: I am not a chef. The measurements and ingredients of this recipe were customized to suit my taste. This is my personal recipe and it was not copied from anyone.