I first learnt to make chai masala from East African Ethiopians as I worked as waitress in the famous Blue Nile In The Year 2000 restaurant in West London. We had Vogue magazine , Ziggy Marley and Linda McCartney come there as well as president Regan’s staff, it was happening man.

Elsa, the owner, wife of Livingstone,  showed me how to add ginger, cardamom, clove and cinnamon bark to boiling water then, after 5-20 minutes add the tea. These days we use South African red bush tea, a healthy alternative to Indian regular black tea. Red bush tea  is an anti-oxidant.

We now add star anise and I was contemplating bay leaf as well this morning for it’s medicinal properties.

The tea, meaning red bush or black tea leaves, are boiled in the  spicy water, milk can be added directly in as well or the tea can be strained and milk added after. These days of super nova consciousness, we use homemade almond milk, great for boosting your brain power.

We use herbs and spices in our food not just for taste but because they have medicinal benefits that have been known by mankind for thousands of years.

Ginger is 

• Anti-inflammatory, good for arthritic types,
• Dulls appetite
• It’s a stimulant so don’t drink late at night unless you want to be up all night
• It’s an aphrodisiac and if you don’t know what that means you are too young to know what that means
• It clears mucus paste ways in body

 

 

Cinnamon is good for

• regulating blood sugar, good for diabetes
• Its anti-infections, combats bacteria that cause ulcer in stomach but don’t eat a whole spoon full 🙂
• lowers cholesterol
• natural preservative
• Contains fibre, calcium, iron, manganese.
• good for women’s issues; menstruation, fertility, balances hormones, don expect result overnight , alternative medical is the smooth and slow route

Cloves are

• natural pain killer
• good for head nose and throat colds they kill germs
• Anti-inflammatory so good for bruises, arthritis.
• Aphrodisiac but also used for helping men with premature ejaculation.
• A little relaxes digestive tract

Star anise is

• Anti-oxidant, promotes good health
• Stomachic, good for stomach
• Good for the heart because of potassium content
• Contain high iron as well as calcium, potassium, manganese and magnesia
• Good source of B virgins that are good for nerves.

Almond milk is

• Good for the heart as it contains no cholesterol
• Blood sugar friendly, good for diabetes, did you know a lot of cow’s milk bought in supermarkets has artificial sugars added in?
• Good for skin, high in vitamin E
• Good for eyes high in vitamin A
• Good for muscle, it contain muscle regulating nutrient B vitamins