• Add filtered water to a medium sized saucepan (3qt to 4 qt). Place the water to come to a boil over medium high heat. Don't use a small saucepan. As the tea boils, it bubbles up quite a bit. A 3 quart saucepan gives everything enough room to simmer without making a mess.
• Add the spices to mortar pestle. Crush them coarsely. You only want to crack the peppercorns and split open the cardamom pods. Do not grind the spices into a powder. Transfer the crushed spices to the saucepan with the water.
• Next, add fresh ginger to a mortar and pestle and lightly crush it. You want to bruise the ginger just enough to expose more of its surface area so it releases its flavor into the tea. I don't recommend grating the ginger because it releases too much juice and makes the concentrate cloudy and more pungent than needed.
• Let the spices and ginger infuse as water comes to a rolling boil. Takes about 2-4minutes.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and add the loose tea (or tea bags) along with sugar. Bring to a slow boil again, then reduce the heat and let brew for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Stir a few times while chai is simmering. Any longer and the chai concentrate will get bitter due to tannis of the tea.

  The sugar also dissolves and caramalizes while the chai is steeping, and adds subtle caramel notes and a deeper, maltier flavor to the concentrate.
• Switch off the stove and immediately while the concentrate is hot, grate nutmeg over it using a microplane. Strain using a tea strainer in a sterlized glass bottles or pitcher. Cool down completely to room temperature. Tighten the lid and store refrigerated for 4-5 days.

How To Use Chai Concentrate

• To make an iced chai latte, fill a serving glass with 4 to 5 ice cubes. Pour in the chilled chai concentrate, then top it with cold milk. I recommend using equal parts chai concentrate and milk, but you can adjust the ratio to make it stronger or milder. For an extra rich, café style latte, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of sweetened condensed milk. Give everything a good mix and enjoy!
• To make a hot cup of chai, combine equal parts chai concentrate and milk in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat until hot but not boiling(else it might curdle). Stir occasionally. Taste and adjust with a little more milk for a milder chai or more concentrate for a stronger, kadak cup. Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy!