Rich coconut chai

This is one of those things I’ve been dying to make for years, but never got around to it because it seemed hard. On the contrary, it only took about an hour out of my weekend and made the house smell amazing - and now I’ve made enough to last me a few weeks! So if you’re interested in drinking hot, sweet, spicy, complex chai, try this out and save yourself years of just thinking about it.

Credit: Cara Livermore

• makes

  8 cups

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 tsp each ground cardamom, nutmeg and black peppercorns (see Note)
• 1 tbsp whole cloves
• 1 inch piece of ginger root, sliced into medallions
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 vanilla bean pod, sliced open lengthways
• 3 pieces star anise
• 3-4 tbsp whole-leaf black tea leaves
• ¾ cup light molasses, maple syrup or raw sugar
• 4 cups boxed coconut milk (see Note)

Instructions

Put all ingredients into a pot and turn the heat to medium. Stir to combine and let it cook for about 40 minutes, partially covered, stirring every so often.

Put a fine mesh bag (or mesh strainer, if you’ve used all whole spices) into a large bowl and pour the tea in. Let it strain through, then pour into a large glass bottle using a funnel if you need to. Seal with a lid and refrigerate.

When you’re ready to make drinks, fill your cup halfway, then top up the rest with a strongly brewed straight-up hot black tea. If you'd prefer a warm chai, heat the mixture on the stovetop before adding the boiled tea. If you're after a refreshing drink, cool your boiled tea cool before adding to the refrigerated chai mixture. Top with a dusting of cinnamon and drink it up!

Note

• Get a stronger tea by using only whole spices instead of ground, and/or let the mixture steep on the stove longer.

• We tried canned coconut milk but found it too fatty for this drink. Almond milk would also work in this recipe or a light coconut milk.

• These ingredients make about 4 cups of chai concentrate, but you could easily just keep adding more coconut milk as you empty the pot and reuse the spices a few times. I ended up making about 4 batches total, because I love chai so much. It’s a really warming drink that is so comforting. 

• If it’s been in the fridge, shake the mixture a bunch of times before you pour it out - sometimes it’s even nice to use the metal mesh strainer again, just as you pour it into glasses, to strain out any lumps.

Recipe from Hipster Food by Cara Livermore, with photographs by Cara Livermore.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.