Yemeni Milaban (Milk Tea/Chai)

Chai, Milk Tea, Karak, and Milaban have become widely popular beverages. Variations will have more or less fragrant spices, sweetness, and tea strength. Adani Yemeni tea is a type of milk tea that is very strong in spice - the cardamom and cloves are honestly too much for me.

I've never enjoyed tea or coffee, even though I appreciated the incredible aromas. Milaban tea was introduced to me by family members who tried getting me to experiment with drinking tea - this is the only thing that worked. Some are more heavy handed with the spices than others, so I've created a ratio that feels perfect to me.

I also like to keep it low on the sugar, but feel free to add more sweetness as you like. Some people even use condensed milk for extra decadence. If you like strong spice flavors, feel free to double the amount of spices used, but be wary of the clove and nutmeg - you don't want to overdo it with those.

Ingredients:

5 cups water ماء 2 cardamom pods هيل 1 medium cinnamon stick قرفة 2 cloves زر 2.5 T white sugar or condensed sweetened milk سكر أو حليب مركز 2 T loose black tea شاهي اسود Dash of nutmeg جوز الطيب 1 cup evaporated milk حليب معلب

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Directions:

1. Boil water with cinnamon, cardamom pods, cloves, and sugar.

2. Once the water has boiled, add the tea and nutmeg. Allow to simmer on medium high for another five minutes then add your choice of milk and extra sweetener.

3. Simmer for another five minutes allowing the tea to darken.

4. Taste!!! Adjust sweetener if needed.

5. Strain into tea kettle or mug/cup.

Tips:

1. Don't leave the tea leaves to steep for too long, or it may become bitter.

2. Cardamom pods can be replaced with ground cardamom, but be aware that ground cardamom will release a much stronger flavor.

3. When I saw "a dash of nutmeg", I mean a very small dash. You don't want to overpower the tea.

4. I do not recommend using soy, coconut, or almond milk as dairy alternatives. To keep this vegan, opt for a thicker substitute like oat milk.