Chai Tea and I Love My Ipod

Yes, getting a new iPod is important enough to blog about it in both of my blogs! Got my brand new, 16 gig iPod yesterday and it's about 3/4 full now with various podcasts.

Here's my new toy.


While I have a lot of yarn and fabric related podcasts downloaded, I discovered several cooking podcasts as well. Well, actually, iTunes has TONS of cooking shows. However, I suspect the videos are not completely compatible, but I'll give a few a shot. I'm mostly interested in shows that I can listen to as opposed to 'watch'. I have the America's Test Kitchen dvds for that.

Today's recipes are Chai Tea, both a traditional method and an instant mix method. While Chai Tea has always been popular in India, until the recent interest in tea, it was relatively unknown to most Americans. It has become super popular as a result of Tastefully Simple's amazing instant blend. While Tastefully Simple's recipe is superior for a mix, my budget simply can't afford it. I have included the best homemade instant blend I've had so far. Believe it or not, this recipe is the exact same one that has floated around for years (before the Internet) to copy one flavor of International Multifoods' Instant Coffees. All they've done is substitute instant tea for the instant coffee and used some of the new French vanilla flavored instant creamer.

If you have a metallic aftertaste from cooking tea in a metal container, then you need something else to cook in such as a glass or pyrex coffee pot. Easy to find at garage sales. If you can't find one, look on Ebay. Since you are not trying to perk, you do not need a complete one, so if it will save you money, buy one that doesn't have the cover or innards. Be sure you are getting one that actually cooks on top of the stove (very thick glass) and not a Pyrex coffee server.

Masala Chai

1-1/2 cups water
1 inch stick of cinnamon
8 cardamom pods
8 whole cloves
2/3 cup milk
6 tsp. sugar (or to taste)
3 teaspoons any unperfumed loose black tea

Put 1-1/2 cups water in saucepan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the milk and sugar and bring to a simmer again. Throw in the tea leaves, cover, and turn off the heat. After 2 minutes, strain the tea into two cups and serve immediately.

From Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking, Barron's, New York, p. 196 (1983).

Chai Tea Instant Mix

1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cups powdered non-dairy creamer
1 cup French vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer
2-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cardamom

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. In a blender or food processor bowl, place 1 cup at a time, and process until mixture is blended and the particles are fine.

To make: Add 2 heaping serving tablespoons Chai tea mixture to a mug of boiling water and stir to mix well.

For stronger flavor add 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract directly to mug and stir.

If you want a mix for anybody, leave out the instant tea. When making up, add 1 tsp. instant tea or Folgers Instant Coffee to the mug. Add the mix and the water.