Ayurvedic Chai

Ayurvedic Chai
makes 1 cup

This tea uses warming Ayurvedic spices to help you feel warm and nurtured during the cold, dry part of winter.  If you know your dosha, you can customize your tea to better suit your body type.  Take a dosha quiz here.  Since this tea is intended for Fall and Early Winter, it is perfect as-is for Vatas, since those are the Vata seasons.  Kaphas should use less/no sweetener and can add extra ginger and turmeric for pungency and bitterness.  Pittas can go easy on the warming spices but can enjoy this on a cold winter day.  Kaphas can add black tea to this, although Vatas are better off using Rooibos which is less drying and Pittas should be cautious to not go overboard on caffeine.

1.5 cups of almond milk
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods
4 cloves
2 black peppercorns
3 slices of fresh ginger
1 rooibos tea bag or 2 teaspoons loose rooibos tea
1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional)
Honey or coconut sugar to sweeten

1. In a small pot, heat almond milk with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, ginger, and rooibos for 10-15 minutes.  Simmer longer if you like more spice.

2. Strain spices and whisk in coconut oil.  Use an immersion blender to emulsify if you find that whisking doesn't totally incorporate the oil.  This will make it frothy like a latte.  Sweeten to taste and serve immediately.