A cup of tea.. relax.. it looks like it will be just fine…

My Nepali Style Chai Tea:

Tea, it’s a simple way to bring people together. In Nepal, tea is served at all times, in any occasion, literally, any of time of day. Tea truly is a source of hospitality and conversation.

Everyone has their own style, which is okay. Some like it with a lot of masalas (spices), some don’t. Some make a large batch of just the black tea with masalas and just add milk as needed. I prefer it to make it fresh each time.  It only take about 10 minutes to make the hot and savory Nepalese chai tea.

Chai (serves 3-4 people)

2 cups of milk

1 cup of water

2 tablespoon of brown sugar (add as needed)

1 tablespoon of freshly, chopped ginger

2 teaspoon of black pepper

4-6 pieces of cardamom and cloves (slightly crushed)

½ piece of a cinnamon stick

2 table spoon of black tea (If you cannot find Assam loose tea—Tetley tea bags are fine)

Step 1: In a medium size pot, pour all of the milk and water. The stove should be in medium to low heat.

Step 2: Be cautious, as milk heats up quickly. Allow the liquids to boil and then add the sugar. Stir occasionally.

Step 3: Add the tea, ginger, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, and the cinnamon stick. These are essentially called the tea masalas.

Step 4: Once all the masalas are added, the liquid should stop boiling. Within 5 minutes, once it starts boiling again, turn off the stove and let the tea sit for few minutes.

Step 5: Strain into the cups, serve, and enjoy!