Who else can feel that nip in the air in the London weather? Well, I certainly can and that means I will be looking for comfort in a cup. To explain more, a hug in a cup means - good chai, good coffee or a good cup of hot chocolate. And ever since Moma Foods have sent me their Oat Milk tetra packs for taste, I have been sipping a lot of cups of Indian masala chai, dalgona coffee and hot cocoa.
I have tasted vegan milk range before, such as almond milk, soya milk, cashew milk but never oats milk. So when I was approached to try Oats Milk from Moma Food, I was so excited to give it a try. Every time you google or ask someone –what’s the most healthy breakfast, -the answer is always oats. Now imagine, even having your first drink of the day like coffee or tea also made with oats milk-healthy and interesting isn’t it!!
At Moma Foods they milk an oat. Yes-right! They know oats well and with lot of research they produced delicious, nutritious and incredibly tasty milk from oats. They use wholegrain best quality oats, which are packed with good-for-you fibres like beta-glucan. Oats milk helps to maintain cholesterol levels for a healthy heart. Bonus, they then doubled the goodness by adding calcium and vitamins D, B2 and B12. So this milk is as good as any dairy milk without hurting the animals. How cool is that.
They have two varieties of Oat Milk at the moment. The Original Edition – Unsweetened Oat Drink which is creamy & versatile oat drink that's perfect for hot drinks, recipes, cereal & more. Made with wholegrain oats. The second one The Barista Edition – Unsweetened Oat Drink. This one’s for all you baristas out there – in your coffee shops and in your kitchens. An oat drink carefully crafted to work perfectly in every coffee creation. Coffee connoisseurs rejoice – here’s a creamy oat drink you can foam, froth, steam and splash into any cup of coffee.
I am just so pleased with Barista Edition Unsweetened Oat Drink. I used it make my morning Indian Chai, evening coffee and also pour it in Indian gravy curries and it proved to be outstanding every time. It has no strong taste or smell-it is so good that I don’t believe it is made out of such a healthy ingredient –Oats! Foaming this milk is so easy too, I just pour some in jar, gave it a shake and there it was-creamy frothy milk foam ready.
And that’s why I was tempted to try Chocolate Chai Tea Starbucks style at home. As soon as the winter peeps in, Chocolate Chai Tea is sold in almost popular cafe such as Barista, Costa Coffee, ___ and since due to Covid-19 we are avoiding going out, I created it at home. The Moma Foods Barista Oats Milk was just so perfect for it.
What is Chai Tea?
Chai Tea is nothing but Indian Masala Chai. Tea made with loose tea powder, milk, sugar, water and some spices such as cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and or ginger.
Is Chai Tea and Chai Latte same?
Yes, I will say so. Chai Latte is just a fancy name used in cafes. Aparently there is no difference between chai tea and chai latte, just that chai latte is made using tea bags and is much milder on spices.
What is Chai Latte tastes like?
It is sweet, and has a tint of spicy flavour due to nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. A lot of versions are available for chai latte too-such as using vanilla, pumpkin spice, mint and chocolate.
What is Dirty Chai? What is double Dirty Chai?
Dirty Chai is Chai Latte with a shot of espresso in it. Yes, combination of chai and coffee (who thought). Double Dirty Chai is double shots of espresso in masala Chai Latte. To tell you a little secret, no cafes have dirty chai on their menus, you need to ask for a chai latte with an added shot of espresso. Starbucks does the best Dirty Chai.
Today’s recipe is about Chocolate Chai Tea. A beautiful combination of chocolate and chai. If like me you love chocolate and chai both to the core, this recipe is for you. Its sooooo good-I promise.
Do Chocolate and Chai go together?
Hell yeah! Sweetness from chai and creaminess of the milk, balances the bitter strong taste of chocolate very well and it’s nothing but pure indulgence.
What chocolate to use in Chocolate Chai Tea?
It depends on your preference. I used mix of unsweetened cocoa powder and hot chocolate. You can use dark chocolate, milk chocolate or even white chocolate.
Is Chocolate Chai Tea healthy? What are the healthy variations?
Chocolate Chai Tea is not healthy and I would recommend having it every day. It is a luxury treat; you must have it here and there, when you need that ‘hug in a cup’. It has sugar, milk, chocolate-all rich in fat and high calories, so what can be the healthy variations? First of all ditch full fat dairy milk, opt for healthy alternatives such as skimmed milk, almond milk, soya milk or oats milk. Try not to lather the chai with heavy whipped cream or chocolate sauce or chocolate chips. Basically avoid adding more sugary stuff.
What styles or types of Chocolate Chai Tea can you make?
Oh, there are so many options to upgrade your chocolate chai tea at home.
· Add mint powder or use mint chocolate to make minty style chocolate chai tea.
· Use a hint of pumpkin spice, and you have your Halloween autumn style pumpkin chocolate chai tea ready.
· Need a little spicy kick? Sprinkle some chilli flakes or uses Chilli Chocolate to make this.
· Pour in caramel sauce or salted caramel sauce if that is what you fancy.
What makes good Chai Latte or Chai Tea or Chocolate Chai Tea?
Being an Indian, I know the true meaning of good chai. A good masala Indian desi chai is an emotion.
· Use good quality tea. We use lose tea at home. Indian brand called Bhagbakri. It’s strong and just right in terms of colour and aroma. If you want that strong (karak, kadak) chai then you will need to add in extra tea bags because tea bags are very light in taste.
· Use spices, whole spices. There are tons of options to choose from. Use a mix of spicy sharp ones such as clove, nutmeg, black pepper or ginger and the ones that are delicate such as cardamom, cinnamon or star anise.
· Tea and chocolate must be used in the same quantity. I don’t like overpowering taste of one. I like the balancing taste of chocolate and tea both in my cup. If you prefer either of it more or less, adjust accordingly.
· I recommend using a mix of unsweetened cocoa powder and hot chocolate. Cocoa powder will give tough bitter chocolaty taste, while hot chocolate will increase the silkiness because of the ingredients in it.
· Finally, have patience. Let it boil and simmer.
Ingredients:
2 cups water
4 teaspoons tea powder (8 tea bags)
2 teaspoons sugar
4 cloves
2 black peppercorn
1 small piece cinnamon
1 cardamom
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons unsweetned cocoa powder
2 teaspoons hot chocolate
Cocoa powder for dusting/sprinkling
1 piece of dark chocolate
5 tablespoons milk to foam (optional)
Method:
In a pan or a pot on a medium heat, boil water, tea, sugar, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon and cardamom. Boil for 2-3 minutes.
Add in milk, cocoa powder and hot chocolate. Let it boil and simmer on medium heat for around 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer again for 2-3 minutes.
In the meantime, take the 5 tablespoons of milk in jar and shake it. It will turn into foam.
Sieve or strain the chocolate chai in your favourite mug.
Pour the foam milk on it.
Garnish it with dusted cocoa powder.
Dip in the piece of the dark chocolate and serve hot.
Disclaimer: I was not paid or told to write positive review. The post is based on my experience and is unbiased. Thanking Moma Food for sending products for review.
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