Whatever you call it, chai, chaa, shai, shaax, on some indian ocean shit (no corny diaspora poem pls). I know you had an identity crisis when you realized your body didn't agree with dairy so you couldn't drink it! But, I have the solution for you, it's a beautiful flavourful chai made doodh pathi style (milk based style with tea leaves) and it is completely dairy free :)
Q.I: Before I start, let me tell you what type of tea and what type of milk I recommend for this. Some of my faves are shown below! The one often used by og desi restaurants is the Lipton loose leaf, but the Tetley one is a staple in my home. Personally, I'm a bougie bitch and think that Assam loose leaf tea is the best, which can be found from any tea supplier really but the best kind can be found in your local desi corner store.
Next, let's talk non-dairy milk. This one is really tough, and I've decided to include a guide for what milk is best in what thing at the end of this post, because unlike cow's milk, non-dairy milk is NOT one-size-fits-all! For chai specifically, the two greatest milks are soy milk and oat milk, since they are the most neutral in flavour and don't do that weird separating in your drink. I've also included soy creamer in this image because my friends have told me that the almond and soy creamers work well in their shaax too but honestly they're not cost efficient. In this recipe, I used the oat milk below because I got it on sale for $1 and bought several cartons. YES YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT ONE CANADIAN DOLLAR!!!! sorry for yelling
Now, let's talk add-ins! If you're a plain chai truther, scroll past this part. But, if you have tastebuds and like variations and flavour in your chai look here! I personally use green cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, and clove. If I'm being lazy, I just use cardamom because we grind our own cardamom with peel and use it in our chai so we don't have to strain it.
The Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tea bag or 1 heaping teaspoon of loose leaf tea
1 and 1/4 mugs of oat or soy milk
3 pinches of ground cardamom or 2 cardamom pods cracked open (optional)
a small little piece of cinnamon stick (optional)
a small piece of star anise (optional)
one or two cloves (optional)
1 teaspoon of brown sugar or sweetener as needed
Directions:
Measure out and add the milk into a small saucepan over high heat.
Add the tea and add ins as well! Cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and star anise :)
Stir and watch the pan, it will soon come to a boil and may overflow if you don't watch carefully. This is your time to be patient. In this gif, the tea hasn't quite reached the optimal colour.
After a couple minutes (under a WATCHFUL eye), your tea will reach the perfect colour, a warm golden brown. You may also notice the crema type foam happening on the side, which is exactly what you're looking for from stovetop chai.
Grab a strainer and set it on top of your cup, now slowly...
Slowly...pour your tea into the cup! See that golden brown goodness!!!!
Now, if I had the abilities of a chaiwalla I would do this as well but as you can see I'm pussy and can barely pour the tea without being afraid of spillage.
Stir in your preferred sweetener and enjoy!
Your ultimate test will be making a cup for your mum and seeing if she notices <3 tweet or insta us at @queeringramadan with your cups of tea and your mum's reviews too!
Since this is milk based, its super creamy and indulgent. If you prefer a thinner tea just add a little water in the pan as its boiling.
Love you all xx Q.I.
P.S. The Ultimate Dairy Free Milk Guide
To Drink: Chocolate Almond/Cashew milk
Smoothies: Almond, Oat, or Cashew, I prefer unsweetened vanilla
Tea and Coffee: Oat or Soy
Iced Tea and Coffee: Coconut milk beverage (not canned)
Curries: Canned coconut milk
Sauces: Canned coconut milk, Cashew milk, Almond milk, Soy, any really
Frozen Desserts: Any Coconut milk
Hot Oatmeal: Any milk
Rice Pudding or Vermicelli (Sheer Khurma): Rice, Soy, or Oat Milk
Overnight Oats: Almond, Oat, or Cashew
Sour Cream or Yogurt in a Cake Recipe: Canned coconut milk + lemon juice
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