Warming Winter Chai with Star Anise Recipe

Homemade Chai in the winter is one of the best ways to expel the congestion of the cold, Kapha season which has the gunas of heavy, cold, and static.  Today I added some star anise pods to my daily dose of chai for a little sweet licorice taste that is antibacterial and an expectorant for the lungs during winter season.  Here's a simple recipe:

Ingredients:

3 cups of water             1/2 inch of fresh ginger chopped finely

6 cloves                          1-2 tsps of Tulsi tea

2 pinches of nutmeg       1 cup of almond or cashew milk

2 pinches of cinnamon    2 tsp of Sucanat or Coconut Sugar

4 Star anise pods

Preparation:

Boil the water with the spices for about 5 minutes

Add the milk and heat but don't boil.  Strain.

Add the sweetener.

Serve and enjoy. Feel free to vary the amount of sweetener and milk depending on how you like your cup of chai.