Cardamom Tea

We are all aware that the tradition of tea drinking has lived through generations. With time, as people become more exposed to tea traditions and techniques, they are more willing to experiment with its ingredients, developing a completely new outlook on tea. Cardamom, an ingredient made famous by the Indian masala chai is the one most experimented with. The smoky taste and aroma of cardamom is something that cannot be found in every other drink. The use of this ingredient in tea is as old as the tradition of drinking tea with no need of a specific occasion. Additionally, since historical times, cardamom tea has been used as a remedy by mothers when their children feel sick. However, sometimes the simplest of variations can make an old favourite, new and exciting. Cardamom tea latte, a sparkling beverage, can be easily prepared at home. It not only tastes good but can also be an alternative to your regular cup of tea.

Here is a small experiment introducing new tastes and sensibilities to the age old cardamom tea.

Cardamom Tea Latte Recipe

Course Drink

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings 2 People

Ingredients

1/4 cup green cardamom pods lightly crushed to enhance the flavour.
2-4 tbsp of honey (optional)
1 cup almond milk (more if needed)
2 drops drops of rosewater or vanilla essence (adjust according to your taste)
2 teaspoons of loose black tea leaves
2 cups water
1 stick of cinnamon (crushed)

Instructions

To bring out the original flavour of the spices to be used, you need to boil all the spices in water of at least 5 minutes.
As the water starts to boil, add honey or sugar to the liquid and stir well.
When the liquid has reduced to half its original quantity, add the loose black tea leaves and leave it to brew on medium flame.
Turn off the flame after 3-5 minutes and add vanilla essence or rose water to it. Allow the flavours to blend well and let the liquid be unmoved for a while.
Immediately after that, strain the tea liquid and discard the spices and tea leaves.If you have followed the above steps successfully, you are only one step away from your perfect cup of Cardamom tea latte.
Heat a cup of milk or more as per your preference. You can also use a milk frother to create foam over the milk.
Then simply add the tea liquid to the frothed hot milk and stir well. Your tea is ready to drink.
For extra sweetness you can always add any sweeter of your choice at the end and stir well.

Notes

More about Cardamom Tea Latte

The best thing about preparing the chai mixture for cardamom tea latte is that it can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. So you can easily consume it just by adding some warm milk to the liquid when you’re either too lazy to cook or in a hurry to leave for work. Also, for tea lovers like most of us, this drink is the best to be consumed early in the morning to set you in the right mood for the entire day. In addition to this, the combination of warm milk and cardamom acts as an antioxidant for the body along with some anti-inflammatory benefits, all the more reason to make this tea a part of your daily diet.