Vanilla Spice Chai

Vanilla Spice Chai

Ingredients

• 2 whole star anise, or 1⁄ 2 teaspoon aniseeds
• 16 black peppercorns
• 15 whole cloves
• 10 green cardamom pods, crushed
• 5 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
• 1⁄ 2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons black tea leaves, such as Darjeeling
• 11⁄ 2 cups whole milk
• crushed jaggery or gur

Cooking Instructions: 

1. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the star anise, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla bean.
2. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cook at the barest simmer to infuse the water with the spices, about 25 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the tea leaves. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the milk and jaggery. Return to medium-low heat and heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the jaggery, just until the chai is almost simmering. 
4. Strain through a wire sieve into mugs and serve hot. (The chai can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Surprisingly, and delightfully, the flavors intensify even after the spices have been strained and removed. Reheat over low heat or serve iced.)