A Nice Cuppa

I grew up in India, and chai is a staple diet. We have chai in these cute tiny steel tumblers three times a day. Making proper chai involves freshly grated ginger, cardamom, cloves and a few cinnamon sticks. When I decided to go vegan, the hardest thing to give up was diary just because of chai. I had no issues giving up cookies/cakes or ice cream, but I had trepidation when it came to chai. For the longest time, I was vegan except for a cup of chai.

Chai, for me, is that delightful mix of flavours of home and warmth. Be it a rainy day or a hot summer day, be it a busy day or a chilled out day, a nice cup of tea is what I need. As the saying goes, 'Where there is tea, there is hope.' My best memories are curling up on a couch next to a window with a lovely book, a nice cup of chai. And if it is raining, then it hits the spot. I also remember writing down in my journal with a nice cup of chai. There is something about a cup of chai that makes life more bearable. I remember when hanging out with close friends meant unlimited cups of chai.

I am not the one to give up, so I started exploring chai alternatives. The first hurdle was the milk alternative which was not that difficult. I have tried almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk - all kinds of milk, and they all are a suitable milk alternative. Honestly, milk is a small part of the heavenly concoction. The appeal of chai lies in the spices that come along with the tea leaves. The mixture of spices with tea leak and a spot of milk is the best combination on planet earth.

The next big hurdle was the sugar - I like my tea sweet. I remember my dad commenting, 'Do I have tea with my sugar or sugar with my tea?' My journey off sugar was a stepped approach. I switched to brown sugar and then to honey. Using honey in my chai was an acquired taste for sure. And now I am using date syrup.

I tried various combination of the above to make a perfect cup of vegan chai. But, I could not get the taste of spices until I stumbled upon the recipe of Chai Smoothie. It can also be made hot or cold or just at room temperature.

TIME: 5 Minutes (Makes Two Servings)

YOU WILL NEED

• high-powered blender (or food processor)
• baking sheet
• parchment paper

INGREDIENTS

• Three bananas sliced & frozen (or room temperature)
• 8 fl oz unflavored plant milk plus more as needed (≈1 cup)
• 1 cup coconut water plus more as needed
• 4 dates pitted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 dash ground nutmeg
• 1 dash ground cardamom
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

TIP: You can also make your plant-based milk by soaking almonds overnight, blending them with water and straining it in a nut bag to get milk.

MAKE CHAI: In a high-powered blender (or food processor), combine all smoothie ingredients. Add a few ice cubes, if desired. Purée until very smooth. Add additional plant milk or coconut water if needed to reach desired consistency.

Voila! A perfect cup of chai is ready. And the best part is there is no caffeine, so you can have as many cups as you want. And you can switch the flavour of the plant-based milk to get some variety. Pecan milk will give it a more nutty flavour, while cashew milk will give it a more creamy taste.

Gone are the days when I could not enjoy a good book or spend the perfect time with my journal for lack of a chai. This chai accompanied me while I was writing this blog.