This recipe calls for whole milk. But as someone who can't drink milk, I can tell you that soy milk works beautifully for chai. The taste and texture both enhance the chai.
1 2-inch piece of ginger, cut into thin rounds
2 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
10 whole cloves
6 cardamom pods
6 cups cold water
6 black tea bags
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
Combine first 5 ingredients in saucepan. Lightly crush the spices. Add 6 cups of water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add tea bags and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add milk and sugar. Bring tea just to a simmer over high heat, whisking until sugar dissolves. Strain chai into teapot and serve hot. Makes 6 servings.
