Transcendental chai tea!

From http://ift.tt/1WZFSgx :

Fresh, whole spices are what gives this tea its potent kick of aromatic flavor. This recipe makes four 8 ounce cups. Good for when you need a long break from the kids, or want your kids bouncing off the walls.

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups whole milk (really, you want the fat!)
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 5 lobes of a star anise pod
• 5 whole cloves
• 13 whole peppercorns
• About 2 or 3 one square-inch sticks of cinnamon (or more, heck)
• About a thumbnail-size piece of fresh ginger root (but if you love ginger, toss in a whole thumb!)
• 4 teaspoons of orange pekoe Assam tea (Wagh Bakri International Blend does OK)
• Sugar to taste

Preparation

1. Measure spices and ginger, and toss into a blender with 2 cups of water. Go easy on the blending; you want to be able to strain out the pieces later. Alternately, if you don’t have a blender, crush them with a mortar and pestle, or crush the dry spices in a clean coffee grinder. Don’t put fresh ginger through a coffee grinder!
2. Put the spices and water in a pot and bring to the boil. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
3. Return pot to heat, add milk, and stir constantly until it boils. Be careful you don’t burn the milk!
4. Remove from heat. Add tea, stir lightly, cover, and allow to stand for 4 minutes. (Neither for 3 minutes, nor for 5 minutes shalt thou let thy tea stand, but standest thou 4 minutes, lest thy tea become bitter, and thy curses rise to the heavens!)
5. Uncover, stir lightly, then strain the tea through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Add sugar; I like about 5 tablespoons.
6. Enjoy your moksha!

bon appetit