Chai Tea
I love Chai – real chai tea, not the powdered version. The spices used in chai are also very good for you, especially through winter as they are warming, antioxidant rich, good for your digestion and anti-inflammatory plus cinnamon helps modulate blood sugar levels, ginger is anti-microbial, chilli is an analgesic and anti-bacterial, cardamom and star anise act as carminatives (relieving flatulence) while black pepper helps increase gastro-intestinal enzyme secretion and the absorption of a number of nutrients including curcumin (found in turmeric). I do tend to go a bit by “feel” when I make this so feel free to make your own adaptations but do try to make a note of what you do for when someone asks you for your recipe! Here is my version – a cup of anti-oxidant rich, immune boosting deliciousness to help warm you up through this crazy autumn weather (although I have been known to chill it and drink it cold in summer too).
Ingredients
This is the amount for one person/cup:
1 heaped teaspoon black tea leaves or 1 tea bag (I often use Rooibos or a decaf Ceylon)
Grind the following in a mortar and pestle
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
1cm cinnamon quill
A small knob of fresh ginger chopped up (if it’s organic you can leave the skin on) or 6-8 pieces dried kibbled ginger (available from Asian/Indian food stores) or
couple of chilli flakes
1-2 twists cracked black pepper
2 pieces star anise
Optional:
Decent sprinkle of turmeric
Method
Put the ground spices and tea in a coffee plunger/tea pot with approximately 200ml boiling water, steep for 5 minutes or a tad longer. Pour into a cup until 2/3 full then fill the remainder with warm milk of choice.
OR – you can make it in a saucepan on the stove top. Boil tea and spices for a similar amount of time, you just want to warm the milk through though, not bring to the boil on the stove. Alternatively, as with the tea pot add separately warmed milk to your cup.
OR – I usually make 6 times this amount (plus a couple of extra everything for the pot) in the Thermomix blitzing the spices for a few seconds then adding 1200-1300g boiling water. Have the blade running backwards, heat at 100, for 5 minutes. Then add 400-500g milk of choice, 1 heaped teaspoon honey (if you like) and reheat to 70-80 degrees for 2 minutes. This makes enough for 4 large mugs and a couple of top ups or you can reheat and drink it throughout the day.
P.S. Made with Rooibos which is naturally caffeine free it is perfectly fine to drink before bed or for your kids to drink as well.
About the Author
As a qualified Clinical Nutritionist and mother of two, Samantha Bake brings a unique perspective to her paediatric focus. Her passion for clinical nutrition was ignited by her own children’s food allergies, insomnia and anxiety and she went on to complete a Bachelor of Health Science before commencing further studies in Western Herbal Medicine.
As a founding member and now Head of the ReMed Kids clinic, Samantha possesses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the gut-immune-brain axis in the development of anxiety, tics, and obsessive-compulsive disorder in children. She specializes in applying the principles of The Moore Method to facilitate lasting improvements in PANS and PANDAS, working with families across Australia and internationally.
In 2021, Samantha co-authored a 6-week online program, “Calming Kids Naturally,” providing parents with insights into uncovering underlying causes contributing to their child’s health and behaviours. The following year, she was invited to present on neuro-developmental conditions in children at a national symposium for naturopaths, nutritionists and allied health professionals. In 2024 she was one of three finalists in the ATMS Practitioner of the Year Award.