Roasted Pumpkin Seed Chai

Happy Friday, everyone!

It's gloomy in Chicago, so what better day to add the first 'sips' recipe? Today I'm sharing the dreamiest roasted pumpkin seed spiced chai.

Let's preface by saying that I'm a complete tea fiend.

Most people in my life wake up and drink a cup of coffee-- I wake up and immediately put the kettle on for tea. It's not to say that I'm addicted, per se, I just really love tea.  Not just the act of drinking tea, either. From the making and drinking of it down to the mugs and teabag packaging, I love it all.

My love for tea comes from my dad. Tea is his forte. Luckily for me, this meant growing up with a perfectly brewed and steeped cup of tea every single day. I tried many times to replicate his masterful tea-making process, to absolutely no avail. In fact, he would joke in Creole that every cup I made tasted like gutter water ("dilo kanal") in comparison to his. Regrettably, he was right. But that's fine, I'll leave the tea-making to him when I'm home, and hopefully one day he'll reveal his secret to us all.

When I left home, and began missing his tea, I started getting creative with new blends. I tried new flavors, mixing multiple together, and even began making my own homemade chai. I can confidently say that I've got some of this tea-business down... Nothing like my dad's, but I'm still holding out hope.

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Every year I buy a pumpkin, roast the seeds, and the seeds at the bottom of the jar are forgotten, and eventually go to waste. I roasted some pumpkin seeds a few nights ago, and noticed this fateful cycle beginning to repeat itself. Surely the bin couldn't be the end of the line for these little morsels.

I had been craving homemade chai for a few days and thought, why not add the seeds to the pot with all the other spices? I'm happy to say that my little experiment turned out wonderfully. The result? A lightweight chai with a bitter undertone from the roasted seeds. SO. good. 

A dash of cinnamon and turmeric powder were just what I needed to complement the light blue of the cup and saucer. It's pretty remarkable how a little color can brighten an otherwise grey day. For those curious, I bought the teaware from POSH, a darling antique housewares shop here in Chicago.

That's all I've got for today. Be sure to check out the recipe and subscribe! 

More later.

Asiya

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Roasted Pumpkin Seed Chai

1 1/2 cups water 

2 black teabags (I use Twinings English Breakfast for a subtler flavor)

2 small pieces of cinnamon + pinch of ground 

2 cloves

1 peppercorn

1 large cardamom/elaitchi pod + pinch powder

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds/methi  

3/4 cup milk (I use 2%)

small handful roasted pumpkin seeds (peeled from shells)

sugar (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all spices and water in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil

2. Add teabags, reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 5 mins, then remove from heat

3. Add and dissolve cane sugar

4. Add pre-heated milk to the tea mixture

Optional: sprinkle with turmeric and cinnamon

Enjoy!