Vegan Milky Chai

Chai comes in all forms, from the robust black tea leaves boiled in water with whole spices and ginger to this milky full bodied silky Chai made with soy milk that is very different from the over processed tasting Chai latte at the local coffee shop. This particular “Doodh Pattee” or milky Chai recipe comes from Punjab, my husband’s part of the world and is regularly brewed when wanting a simple, comforting drink – a cup of Chai usually mid morning or late afternoon ready in just 10 minutes.

The lovely folks at Umi Tea Sets sent a gorgeous package of “Jin Jun Mei” tea to try out.

Of course my first order of business was to brew this lovely fragrant tea with plain water. The leftover tea even after cooling down had notes strongly reminiscent of Lapsang Souchong Tea reminding me of the floral and fruity tones of Darjeeling Tea. Now, Darjeeling tea boiled in milk is an everyday ritual across most North Indian house. To veganise this, I uses a fair few varieties of Almond, Oat & Soy milks, both store bought and homemade. The best option that worked for us is the Vita Soy Milky as the flavour is neutral and doesn’t split when simmered with the tea leaves.

Cook Time – 15 minutes

Servings – 2

Ingredients

1 heaped teaspoon Jin Jun Mei tea leaves
½ cup Water
1 cup Vita Soy Milky
Sweetener of choice, to taste (I added a dash of Maple Syrup for the fruity accent)

Instructions

1. Place water, Soy Milk and the tea leaves in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Once the mixture starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 -7 minutes.
3. The tea will start to thicken by the end of this, stir gently to ensure no clumps form o r that the Chai doesn’t stick to the bottom and sides of the pan.
4. Add sweetener if using.
5. Take off the heat and pour the Chai through a sieve into cups.

We enjoyed ours with a heap of Air fried Veggie Pakora.

if you enjoyed this vegan milky chai, please see here for another delicious Chai recipe.

Notes

Whisk the Chai for a frothy mouth feel to the milky chai.