What’s a 4-letter word for “comfortable, warm, contented?”

Cozy? Sure, we’ll accept that…but there’s something bigger, more powerful….

Chai.

During these days, when fall is getting serious—the leaves are drifting on the wind, everyone has dug out their thick, wooly sweaters, mitten shopping has commenced—it’s the perfect time to snuggle up for a chat about something dear to my heart…chai.

Part beverage and part legend, chai is there when you’re waking up, when you’re celebrating with friends, when you’re feeling a little blue, or a tad under the weather. Like magic, it transforms itself to suit your mood and the season with the shift of just a few ingredients.

As I look out at the newly fallen snow just outside my window, it seems the ideal time to enjoy chai with friends, so here it is…Allow me to share with you an excerpt from my latest eBook, SOMA: 100 Heritage Recipes for Self-Care.

I hope that you take a moment, a step out of time, to enjoy the process and product of this powerful tea. Find more heritage recipes (including chai for every season!) in SOMA. (Coming soon!) Wishing you a cheerful chai!

Elyachi Wali Chai (Autumn Chai)

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups Water

¼ cup Milk (whole)

1 ½ tsp Black Tea (go for Assam CTC loose tea, in a good brand that you like)

2 Cardamom Pods, opened, and seeds freshly pounded to powder - the seasonal ingredient

Sugar (to taste)

Method:

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, cook for 30-60 seconds, adding the autumn-ness with powdered cardamom a.k.a. the seasonal ingredient.
3. Add the black tea and slow the heat to a simmer for 1 minute.
4. Add the whole milk. Cook until it reaches a rolling boil and the tea starts to foam and rise in the saucepan.
5. Now at this point, it is a game of simmer-to-high: it rises to the top with high heat and settles down to level with simmer. Do this 3-5 times until the fragrance of the tea fills the head space with its delightful aroma.
6. Strain and pour! Sweeten to taste (cane or brown rock crystal sugar are the best company of chai!).

Yield: 2 cups, because you want to share the goodness

Shelf Life: Fresh–Always (Non-negotiable)

Dosage: 1 Cup, maybe more, you decide

Usage: Slurrrp, drink, and savor this Indian gift to humanity

Indications: Just because; there is NO REASON needed for chai!

Benefits: Will make you happy

Here it is, the elayachi wali chai. It does not smell or taste like pumpkin spice latte (not sure where that version of latte came from) but elayachi wali chai sure does take me back home.

Buy the eBook here