Go ahead and Chai it, you’d be nuts not to

My latest craving is for chai, not just any chai, but one to which you can cha cha all day (night) long as in the lyrics of that catchy song by John Cleary!

You know how it is, you discover a new addictive flavour and then you go seeking out supplies, or at least I do.

My absolute favourite is the blend made by Julia who has an occasional stall at the Torquay Farmers Market selling her own range of spice blends and preserves.

With a distinctive label, Moorish, hers is by far my favourite chai to make at home. No doubt you all have your own favourite chai den (aka local, best café) in which to enjoy your fix?

Believe me, I have tried a few different brands and actually the Madura Seven Spice Chai came very close, but I don’t seem to be able to buy this anywhere anymore.

So, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention – so I have played with various recipes and now have a blend that I quite like – well, it actually still comes in at second-best, next to Julia’s.

Combine a mix of 24 green cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon red peppercorns, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns (or all black if you cannot source red ones), 2 tablespoons fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 1 star anise, ½ cinnamon stick (crumbled) in a heavy based skillet. Dry roast these spices over a low heat, till the aromas greet your nose and the seeds pop around a little in the pan.

Crush this spice blend with a mortar and pestle and combine with 6 tablespoons (around ½ cup) roughly chopped naked ginger* and 1 cup loose leaf black tea – I recommend Assam tea blend. This will make approximately 100gm of chai tea mix – and I use 1 tablespoon of this tea to brew one cup of chai. You can use a little infuser, or if you have the paper filters used in drip coffee, these are ideal. Spoon the chai into infuser/filter, and put one cup (250ml) of milk in a small saucepan. Heat the milk gently whilst the chai infuses, over a low heat for up to five minutes.

Serve immediately – with a little spoon of honey if desired. Any milk can be used – almond, soy, cows or rice milk. Now, stay with me as I then take this ‘cup of chai’ to another level by using it to flavour another very old-fashioned favourite – steamed nut loaf.

Yes, the good old nana recipe of a steamed nut loaf can be given a new twist by combining the chai flavoured milk, and instead of sultanas and walnuts, I have used pistachios and naked ginger again – I love combining an ingredient in this way – kind of double the hit of ginger – which is great at this time of year as it is such a warming flavour! (*Naked ginger is crystalised ginger but without the extra coating of sugar.)

By my reckoning, it’s hard to beat a cup of chai, with a slice or two of nut loaf, spread with butter, for afternoon tea on these cold windy days. Nothing better to warm you after a bit of mucking about in the garden, or having been out for an invigorating walk, or just returning from the Saturday arvo footy match!

Our nanas, and granddads too, would have been familiar with this very old fashioned recipe – but it is truly never out of fashion I say. I’d wager that it was also ‘necessity being the mother of invention’ that empty soup cans are the cooking vessel – takes you straight back to post war years of thrift and ingenuity!