Homemade vegan chai

• Serves 4

• Preparation time:

• Cooking time:

Ingredients

60 ml black tea
3 cinnamon sticks
6 star anise
6 cardamom pods
8 cloves
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1½ tablespoons cacao powder
seeds from 1 vanilla bean
50 g coconut sugar or rice malt syrup

CREAMER MILK

500 ml coconut cream
500 ml soy milk

Method

For iced chai, begin by mixing all the chai spice ingredients together with 500 ml water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat and then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes (up to 30 minutes if you want a stronger chai taste). Remove from the heat, strain and place the liquid in a bottle.

For the creamer milk, mix the coconut cream and soy milk together.

Pour the chai into a glass filled with ice, and top with the desired amount of creamer.

Alternatively, for a warm milk chai, simply omit the water with the chai spice ingredients and use the creamer instead. Warm the chai and milk up in a saucepan for 10 minutes or until the milk has turned a beautiful caramel colour, strain and enjoy.

Notes

Cacao powder: is the result of pulverising raw cacao beans and separating the powder from the cacao butter. This is the raw version of cocoa and still has all the nutrients of the cacao bean. Use it as a replacement for cocoa for a huge boost of nutrients in your food. Available in supermarkets, health food stores, organic supermarkets and online.

Coconut sugar: is the evaporated granular form of coconut nectar. It has a low GI and is derived from the coconut palm blossom. It is a good sugar and brown sugar alternative and has a rich caramel-like taste. Available from most supermarkets, grocers and online.

Rice malt syrup: is a syrup made from brown rice. It is a healthy alternative to sugar and contains zero fructose. It has a honey-like consistency and is great used in cooking or even as a spread. It is gluten-free and contains complex carbohydrates. Available from most supermarkets, health food stores and organic supermarkets.

This is an edited extract from Cooked: Food for Friends published by Hardie Grant $24.99 available in stores nationally.