Serves: 2
Total Calories: 270

2 cups water
1/2 cup milk
2 green cardamom pods, broken open to release the seeds
8 to 10 black peppercorns
1 stick cinnamon (1 1/2-inch)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 quarter-size slice of fresh ginger, coarsely crushed
1 teaspoon loose black tea leaves, or 1 teabag
honey or raw sugar, to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, add everything except the tea leaves and honey and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and continue to boil another minute to extract maximum flavor from the spices. Add the tea, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and set aside to steep, about 3 minutes.

2. Pour through a tea or very fine-mesh strainer into 2 teacups. Discard the spices and the leaves. Serve hot, with the honey or sugar on the side.

VARIATIONS: Instead of using the whole spices, boil the water with about 2/3 teaspoon Chai Tea Masala (see Spices and Other Seasonings).

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 2
Total Calories: 270
Calories from Fat: 11

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Hot and Cold Beverages
Almond Chai Tea
Buttermilk Cooler
Chilled Milk with Almonds, Melon Seeds, and Saffron
Fennel and Black Cardamom Tea
Fire-Roasted Green Mango Cooler
Fresh Lime Soda with Berries
Fresh Mint Chai Tea
Green Cardamon Tea Latté
Hot Milk with Pistachios and Poppy Seeds
Ice-Blended Cold Coffee with Ice Cream
Kashmiri Spiced Green Tea
Mango Milkshake
Orange Pekoe Tea
Savory Carrot Cooler
Savory Yogurt Cooler
Simple Ice-Blended Almond Milk
Sparkling Savory Mint-Lime Cooler
Spiced Cold Coffee
Spicy Chai Tea
Spicy Fresh Lemonade
Spicy Pomegranate Juice
Spicy Tamarind Water with Mint and Roasted Cumin
Spicy Yogurt Cooler
Sweet Mango-Yogurt Cooler
Sweet Yogurt Cooler