Shaista grew up making chai with regular milk (2% and 3.25%) and evaporated milk, but had to give up dairy when she was diganosed with crohn's disease. Refusing to give up traditional chai, she experimented with different versions that were easier for her to digest and that tasted similar to the traditional chai she loved. She tried black chai, black masala chai, and chais made with lactose-free milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, eggnog, and oat milk.
Lactose-free (2%) milk chai (masala or otherwise) was the closest Shaista got to the original traditional chai she grew up drinking. It was creamy, cooked well on the stove with the ingredients (i.e. didn’t separate) and still had a nice golden chai presentation.
Other non-dairy milks either separate in the heat, aren’t thick enough (keep the chai dark and bitter), or the flavour overpowers the chai instead of complements.
Shaista is always cooking up new ways for everyone to enjoy chai without compromising flavour and you can be sure there are new drinks are coming your way.
