Drinks Nonalcoholic Drinks Tea Lemongrass Chai with Ginger and Mint Be the first to rate & review! Try this refreshing take on a spicy chai. By Yamini Joshi Updated on March 22, 2024 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco, Addelyn Evans Total Time: 10 mins Servings: 2 Warming and restorative, this spicy chai recipe from League of Kitchens instructor Yamini Joshi is made with fresh ginger and mint, lemongrass, loose black tea leaves, milk, sugar, and green cardamom. Outside of South Asia, “chai” is often thought of as a specialized category of tea that is sweet, spicy, and milky. In the Indian subcontinent, however, chai, which translates to “tea” in Hindi, is simply tea. Chai is just the traditional preparation of tea in this part of the world — the result of British colonization when the marriage of black tea, milk, and sugar came together with local spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. What Is Chai and How to Make It Born and raised in Mumbai, India, where chai is a way of life, Joshi is an expert in all things spice. This recipe includes refreshing flavors from fresh mint and lemongrass and gets an extra herbaceous boost from the addition of green cardamom. This tea can be made as a start to the day or as an afternoon pick-me-up. The recipe makes enough for two cups to share or double up on. Because the tea is strained, peeling the fresh ginger before grating is unnecessary. What makes the Lemongrass Chai with Ginger and Mint work Traditional chai balances bold black tea and warming spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and clove with milk and a touch of sweetness. The brightness of the lemongrass and refreshing mint in this variation helps to underscore the zesty fresh ginger and fragrant green cardamom, while the whole milk and sugar temper the tannins in the black tea leaves. This recipe’s opposing cooling and warming properties from the added herbs and spices make this chai an everyday sipper that transcends seasons. — Prairie Rose Ingredients 1 (1-inch) piece unpeeled fresh ginger 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves 1 ⅓ cups water 1 tablespoon dried lemongrass leaves 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoon loose black tea leaves 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom 2/3 cup whole milk Directions Grate ginger on small holes of a box grater; set aside. Bunch mint up into a tight ball and grate on small holes of box grater. Set aside. Bring 1 1/3 cups water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add grated ginger, grated mint, lemongrass, sugar, tea, and cardamom. Stir in milk; return to a simmer over medium. Simmer, stirring or swirling pan constantly, until mixture darkens slightly and flavors infuse, 3 to 5 minutes, removing pan from heat as needed to prevent boiling over. Pour tea through a fine wire-mesh strainer into large heatproof cups; discard solids. Serve hot. Originally appeared: December 2021 / January 2022 Rate It Print