Best Laurens Masala Chai Concentrate Recipes

Lauren's Masala Chai Concentrate image

Provided by laurenlikesfood

Categories Beverages

Time 15m

Yield 6 1/2 cups, 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

7 cups water
2 tablespoons cut dried ginger (chunks, available at health food stores in the bulk spice department) or 1 inch fresh ginger
10 -15 whole cloves
1/4 star anise pods
3 inches cinnamon sticks
1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon cardamom seed
2 tablespoons black tea leaves
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
milk

Steps:

special note about spices (If you have a bulk foods or Whole Foods or Vitamin Cottage kind of grocer nearby, get the spices from the bulk section. They often cost 25% what you'd pay for a jar! My total ingredients expense was around $1.50, not including the milk!).
In a medium-large saucepan, bring about 7 cups water to a boil.
Meanwhile, add the 6 spices (do not add the tea yet).
Once the water/spice mixture is boiling, add the tea.
Boil 5 minutes, then remove from heat. (I know you're never supposed to boil tea, but I found this works just fine. If you don't want to boil the tea, just boil the spices for 5 minutes and steep slightly longer.).
Stir in the brown sugar (or honey) and vanilla.
Steep for 8 minutes, then strain into a glass container.
While you wait for it to cool, pour a mug 2/3 full with your chai and add hot milk to the top. (If it isn't spicy or sweet enough, you can still add more spices to steep - just strain the mixture again before storing.) OR for a real treat, use hot evaporated milk (I wouldn't want this every day, because its a little sweeter and creamier than regular milk.).
Store in the refrigerator for 7 days (maybe longer, but all chai concentrate containers claim 7 days is best). Note: Normally you'd use 1:1 ratio of chai:milk, but I brew it a little weaker and save $ on milk since I drink so much chai.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 67.6, Fat 1, SaturatedFat 0.2, Sodium 16.6, Carbohydrate 15.6, Fiber 2.9, Sugar 8.5, Protein 1

Spiced Chai Concentrate image

Provided by gailanng

Categories Beverages

Time 20m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

4 1/2 cups water
1 stick cinnamon
1 (3 inch) fresh ginger, chopped
7 whole cardamom pods, crushed
2 whole star anise pods, crushed
5 whole cloves
1 teaspoon peppercorn
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
10 regular-size bags black tea (or 10 teaspoons loose tea is best) or 10 green tea (or 10 teaspoons loose tea is best)
1/2-2/3 cup brown sugar (to taste)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon vanilla

Steps:

Prepare the spices and the tea; set aside. Bring the water to a boil and remove from heat. Add the spices and the tea bags then allow the mixture to steep for 15 minutes.
Strain the mixture into a 4-cup glass measuring cup or large bowl, discarding the spices. Add the sugar, honey and the vanilla and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture into a jar and store in the refrigerator.
To serve, mix 1 part concentrate with 1 part milk or half-and-half. Heat for a warm beverage or pour over ice to enjoy cold.

Awesome (And Economical) Chai Concentrate image

Provided by rsarahl

Categories Beverages

Time P1DT5m

Yield 14 oz concentrate, 30-40 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 (14 ounce) can condensed milk (sweetened or unsweetened)
strong black tea (regular or decaf) or herbal tea (regular or decaf)

Steps:

Pour condensed milk and spices into the blender and blend on high speed for a few seconds until the milk looks evenly "flecked" with spices.
Pour mixture into a clean jar or container with a lid.
Refrigerate at least 24 hours.
Alternatively, pour mix into ice cube trays and freeze.
To use concentrate: Brew a strong black tea or strong herbal tea of your choice.
Stir in 1 frozen concentrate cube or 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of chai concentrate mix per cup of freshly steeped tea.
Frozen cubes will keep up to one year in the freezer if you pop them out of the trays and store in a freezer bag.
Concentrate will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.