Kashmiri Chai Tea Latte With Vanilla Infused Coconut Milk

 

 

After I moved to Portland I experienced my first kashmiri chai latte at a local shop called Tea Chai Té.  It was thanks to our friend, Akash, that I tried this particular chai blend - this was his favorite and now it's mine, too!  Tea Chai Té's tea list is quite extensive with a mind blowing number of chai tea varieties to choose from - I still have yet to try them all, so you are welcome to ask me on a tea date so I check another one off my list.

In preparation for creating a kashmiri chai blend, I studied lots of tea recipes and researched a bit about the culture of Kashmir. One thing I quickly realized was that I would not be preparing this tea using traditional methods, as those require the addition of sodium bicarbonate and salt to turn the tea a pinkish hue - I did not find these ingredients or the steps they required very appealing and opted to go another route.  I also chose to use a black tea vs. green as I preferred the flavor of black tea for this particular chai.  I encourage you to experiment with substituting kashmiri tea leaves, another green varietal or even a rooibos (for a non-caffeinated option), if black is not your cup of tea.

While developing this recipe I came to appreciate that there is no "one way" to prepare chai tea - to grind or not to grind, to boil or steep, to sweeten or not, you get the picture - which allowed for a tremendous amount of flexibility and inventiveness throughout the process.  And although I wanted to create an original chai blend, I did not want to completely stray from its Kashmiri roots. So I decided to add a garnish to this chai, as traditional kashmiri teas are served with ground pistachios or almonds sprinkled on top. I also could not forget the pink element of authentic kashmiri teas, so in the spirit of bringing a pop of pink to this lovely chai, I added rose hips to the garnish.  If you've never used rose hips, these little rubies are packed full of beneficial nutrients which help strengthen your heart, prevent degeneration of tissue and support the health of your gut.

 

 

Feel free to go a bit crazy with the garnish as you enjoy this warming noon chai and drift away to thoughts of paradise on earth, also known as Kashmir.

 

kashmiri chai tea ingredients

serves 2 to 4 depending on the size of your mugs - refrigerate the leftover chai in a tightly sealed container for up to a week if seeking a single serving

1 cinnamon stick

8 green cardamom pods

5 cloves

1 star anise pod

1/2 teaspoon tellicherry or black peppercorns

1/2  teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon loose leaf peppermint tea

1 tablespoon loose leaf kashmiri or black tea (assam or darjeeling are traditionally used in chai teas)

3 cups water

2 cups coconut milk (see recipe below)

2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or other sugar of choice (optional)

 

vanilla infused coconut milk ingredients

1/2 of a vanilla bean pod

1 cup of raw coconut flakes

2 cups hot water

pinch of sea salt

 

optional garnish

3 tablespoons ground toasted pistachios

1 teaspoon rose hips or petals

 

coconut milk preparation 

To make the coconut milk add the coconut flakes, vanilla bean pod and salt to a bowl and cover with the hot water.  Stir and let sit on the counter for 1 to 2 hours to allow the coconut to soften and the vanilla to infuse.  *Sometimes I make a double batch of the coconut milk and put half in the refrigerator for the days when I don't have much time to make it.

After the hour is up, squeeze the vanilla bean paste out of the pod (it comes out very easily using your fingers after it's been soaked in the hot water) into the coconut water mixture and then discard.  Pour the coconut water mixture directly into a high speed blender.  Blend on high for approximately 30 seconds. Pour the coconut milk through a fine mesh sieve - I prefer to use a conical sieve - or a nut milk bag directly into a sauce pan.  Do not discard the coconut pulp as you can use it in a smoothie, a raw dessert or even create your own flour with it.

 

kashmiri chai tea instructions

For your first step in preparing this tea, I'm going to give you several options.  Choose the one that works best for you and with what you have on hand.  You can cut an 10" x 10" square piece of muslin or cheescloth, purchase reusable spice bags, use a metal tea infuser or none of the above and simply add the spices to the liquid and strain at the end.  

Add the water, coconut milk and sugar to a 2 quart pot and bring to a boil.  While the liquid is heating on the stove, prepare your spices by breaking up the cinnamon stick into smaller pieces, crushing the cardamom pods and grating the nutmeg.  Choose the method you prefer to contain the spices and tea leaves (or keep them loose) and add to the boiling liquid.  Lower the heat and let simmer for 25 minutes uncovered.  After the time is up, remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.  Remove the spice/tea pouch or infuser and set aside.  If you kept the spices and tea loose, then strain the tea through a fine mesh sieve. You can reuse the spices/tea leaves for one more batch of chai, but you will have to let it boil a bit longer to achieve a similar potency.  Pour the chai into mugs and garnish with the rose hips and pistachio nuts.  

Serve alone or with your favorite sweet treat.

 

 

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."

~ Henry James

 

 

Comments

[californiateahouse]

I experienced my first kashmiri chai latte at a local shop called Tea Chai. This is in fact a wonderful post, the piece of writing has really allured me.