Sticky chai

As a non – coffee drinker, I am often quite dejected when I go to a cafe and get served a very average cup of tea, with no love or care in its making. I love proper chai, but find it’s often poor quality, watery, or worse still – a powder form that is based on sugar. Then I found out about sticky chai!! It’s a world apart from regular chai I have drank, and would influence my cafe choices hands down. Try making some and see how you like it!
The recipe comes from theinspiredtable website, and can be black tea or dandelion tea based.

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon of cardamom pods
• 2 cinnamon quills, broken up into pieces
• 4 star anise,
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 cup Roasted Dandelion or black tea leaves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon finely grated turmeric
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Method
1. Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon, star anise and fennel seeds and toast for 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and lightly bash to break spices into small pieces.
2. Place the roasted dandelion in a small bowl and stir through the toasted spices with the vanilla, ginger, turmeric and lemon juice.
3. Heat the honey until it’s a runny consistency and then stir it through the dandelion chai blend. Transfer it to a small glass jar and keep refrigerated.
4. To make a delicious dandy chai for two, place 2 teaspoons of chai and 1 cup of hot water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat. Add 1 cup of milk of your choice (I switch between coconut, almond and cashew) and place back over the heat, stirring, until it comes to the boil. Remove from the heat immediately. Let it steep for 2-3 minutes to let the flavours develop. Pour into your favourite mug and sprinkle with some ground cinnamon.