• Boil 1 ½ cups of water in a medium saucepan and steep the tea until the water becomes very dark.
• Then place the liquid back on the stove and heat until it begins to simmer lightly.
• Next, add the sugar. Stir it for a minute or two to make sure that the sugar completely dissolves.
• Leaving the tea mixture on low heat, add the spices (pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom) to the tea for 3 minutes, stirring lightly to ensure the spices are covered completely. Remove the teabags if used.
• Add the milk while still on the heat and whisk the mixture for about 2 -3 minutes.
• Remove the tea from the heat.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove ginger pieces and tea leaves if used into a pitcher.
• Pour the tea into separate cups. You can top with ground cinnamon if desired.
  

Finishing Touches

• Optional: If you want frothed milk to top your chai latte, you can make it at home without any special machines. There are several ways to make that happen:
• Whisk: Warm ¾ of a cup of milk in a saucepan and vigorously whisk until frothy. This works best with 2% and coconut milk.
• Immersion Blender: You can use an immersion blender before warming the milk in the saucepan. Froth it up and then gently warm. Best for non-dairy milks but will work for all.
• Mason Jar: Add your milk to a jar, screw on the top, and shake it up! Works well with whole milks and nut milks.
• After the frothing, you can top your cup with the milk and top with cinnamon.

To Make Ahead:

• Complete the first 5 steps. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh strainer into an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Gently rewarm the tea in a saucepan and add the milk and whisk. Follow the remaining steps.