This chai is a knockout on its own, but gin adds subtle flavors that complement the chai's complexity. (Needless to say, since Kashmir is predominantly Muslim, alcohol would not be added there.) Nuts in a cocktail seemed a little odd at first, and it's fine to strain them out before serving, but most of us found them addictive.
Recipe information
Total Time
15 min
Yield
Makes 4 drinks
Ingredients
1
10
1
1
2
3
1
2
5
4
Special Equipment
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Finely grind nuts, cardamom, cinnamon, and saffron with mortar and pestle or in grinder. Add nutmeg.
Step 2
Bring milk just to a simmer in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in brown sugar, salt, and nut mixture and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes to infuse flavors.
Step 3
Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, then add tea leaves and boil 1 minute. Pour tea through a fine-mesh sieve into hot-milk mixture, discarding tea leaves, and cook chai over low heat 1 minute.
Step 4
Divide gin among 4 (8-ounce) mugs and top with hot chai.