Ayurvedic Chai (Tea)

Tea Pot of Chai
Brew Chai at home to balance your Dosha

Vata: Decreases

Pitta: Decreases

Kapha: Decreases

Season: Fall & Winter

This is a recipe modified from KP Khalsa and Michael Tierra’s book “The Way of Ayurvedic Herbs.” This balancing (Sattvic) tea can be made year round. Spices can be added or subtracted for individual Dosha or Seasonal needs. This recipe is for only one person, so multiply the ingredients by the number of cups (people) you’re serving.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cloves
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 1/2 stick cinnamon
  • 2 slices fresh ginger root
  • 10 oz. water

Directions:

  1. Peel and discard cardamon pods
  2. Grind spices lightly in spice grinder (except ginger).
  3. Add all spices to water. Simmer 10 minutes or more.
  4. Add 1/2 teaspoon tea (rooibos, green, black, assam, or mate) to soaked spices.
  5. Steep 3 minutes and drain.
  6. Add 1/2 cup milk (cow, goat, hemp, almond, rice, soy, coconut) and reheat.
  7. Add sweetener (honey, jaggery, xylitol, agave, sucanat, maple syrup, etc).

Serves: 1

Preparation time: 15 minutes

For Individual Doshas:

Vata: Use cow or goat milk. Add pippali, allspice, bay leaf, fennel and anise. Prefer a non-caffeinated tea. If honey is too drying, try jaggery.

Pitta: Reduce clove, pepper and ginger.  Add vanilla, nutmeg, fennel and saffron with cow or coconut milk. Sweeten with jaggery or maple syrup.

Kapha: Use a lighter milk from rice, almond, soy or hemp. Add allspice, star anise, cayenne and/or pippali. Add honey, xylitol or stevia for sweetness.

Spices can be pre-mixed, ground and stored in an airtight container. Then boil ½ teaspoon of herbs in water for 3 minutes before adding tea and milk.

Chai Kitchen Spices*

Allspice: promotes heat to stay warm

Anise: see Star Anise below

Bay Leaf: relieves gas, expectorant

Black Peppercorns: clears toxins & mucus

Cardamom: Freshen breath, improves digestion

Cinnamon: Improve circulation and digestion

Clove: increase digestive speed, clear lungs

Fennel: relieves gas and involuntary muscle spasms

Ginger: anti-inflammatory for arthritis

Milk: Calcium to strengthen bones

Nutmeg: restores the nervous system

Pepper: see Black Peppercorns

Pippali: Fed Ex for other spices

Saffron: purifies the blood, rejuvenates

Star Anise: relieves intestinal pain and distention

Your favorite mix (Masala) of spices: Brings bliss to mind, body and spirit

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Advice on chai is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. But these spices might balance your Dosha. If you go to www.pubmed.gov and search for things like “cinnamon and circulation” you can read the latest research on spices and healing.