Indian Chai Iced Coffee

Indian Chai Iced Coffee

Garam masala is the combination of Indian spices that is so popular in regional cuisines of India and in its famous chai tea. However, we've discovered it's even more delicious in coffee. If your coffee vendor carries Mysore, India's most famous bean, sample it with this wonderful recipe. A refreshing glass of iced coffee is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up, this recipe can be adapted using low-fat or 1 percent milk.

This recipe makes 4 servings.

Indian Chai Iced Coffee Ingredients: 
3 cups (24 ounces) cold spring water 
5 thin slices of fresh ginger (peeled, then sliced) 
12 whole cloves 
1 cinnamon stick 
1 teaspoon anise seeds 
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom or 3 whole pods, crushed 
2 tablespoons finely ground Mysore coffee or your own favorite 
1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk 
2 tablespoons jaggery (a traditional, unfrefined sugar used in India and Asia) or dark brown sugar 
2 tablespoons buckwheat honey or other strong honey 
Ice

Directions: 
In a saucepan, add ginger, cloves, anise and cardamom to the 3 cups of water. 
Break the cinnamon stick and add it to the mixture. 
Heat over medium heat until the water boils, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. 
Add the coffee, stir and let steep, off the heat, for about five minutes.
Using a fine meshed filter or cheesecloth, pour the coffee through and into a bowl.
Pour the strained coffee into a clean saucepan and add the honey, sugar (or jaggery, if using) and milk, and heat almost to boiling. Remove the pan from the heat, pour into a heat-proof pitcher, cool then refrigerate until it is chilled, about two hours.
To serve, add ice to squat glasses, pour on the chai coffee, and enjoy. Recipe easily doubles.