Chai is a sweet, spicy beverage that's equally good whether you serve it steaming hot or iced. The name "chai" means "tea" in Hindi, so just call this exotic blend of Indian spices and black tea "chai,"rather than "chai tea," unless you hail from the Department of Redundancy Department. It's widely available in several incarnations, from loose tea mixes to chai concentrates sold in cartons.

The downside of the pre-mixed chai concentrates is that they're also pre-sweetened. I prefer to make my own chai from scratch and sweeten it with stevia instead. Stevia gives chai the sweetness it's supposed to have without the drawbacks of other sweeteners.

Another advantage of DIY chai is that you can make it with green tea, rooibus, or yerba mate instead of the black tea that's traditionally used. Chai is customarily served not with a meal, but after, and is believed to aid digestion. So rooibus chai is ideal after dinner for those who don't want caffeine.

There are hundreds of chai recipes floating around, but certain ingredients are obligatory: cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, some kind of tea, and milk (or soymilk). And a sweetener of some sort, whether it's sugar, honey, agave nectar, or stevia.

I experimented with a number of chai recipes, combining several to create a blend I really liked, and then I made a big batch of it with spices I bought in bulk from Kalustyan's. It's an economical way to enjoy chai, and you can tweak the recipe to suit your own preferences.

Kat's Chai Blend:

1/3 cup fennel seeds

3 tablespoons cardamom pods

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

3 tablespoons fenugreek seeds

6 whole cloves

6 star anise pods, with seeds

3 cinnamon sticks, about 2", broken in half

Combine the spices in a pan over medium heat and toast for a minute or two. Set aside to cool. Grind in a mortar and pestle, a spice grinder or a mini food processor. Transfer to a jar.

To make the tea, bring 3 cups of water and 1cup milk or soymilk to a boil. Reduce heat, add 3 tablespoons chai, and simmer for 10 minutes. I also like to add several teaspoons of fresh minced ginger. Turn heat off and add 3 heaping teaspoons of the tea of your choice, and steep for 5 minutes or so (less for green tea.)

Strain and sweeten to taste with the sweetener of your preference; serve hot or cold. Makes 4 servings.

If, like me, you love chai so much you could eat it with a spoon, here's a recipe for a frozen chai dessert that will let you do just that. I'd call it an ice cream, but it's another one of my cream-free concoctions and it also uses soymilk, so let's just call it a frozen custard, though you'll need an ice cream machine to make it:

Kat's Frozen Chai Custard:

2 1/2 cups low fat vanilla soymilk

3 tablespoons chai

2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger

3 heaping teaspoons tea (I used Assam)

2 large eggs plus two egg yolks

1 14 ounce can fat free sweetened condensed milk

Bring the soymilk to a boil and add the chai and ginger. Turn off heat and steep for 15 minutes. Strain the soymilk and pour back into the saucepan. Turn heat on low, and whisk the eggs into the soymilk, stirring constantly. Stir till mixture thickens slightly, do not allow to get too hot or the eggs will scramble.

Let cool slightly, stir in the sweetened condensed milk, and chill for several hours or overnight. Freeze in your ice cream machine, and serve after a chicken curry or tofu vindaloo. It will cool your palate and soothe your stomach.

Photo credit: glass of chai, NASA KSC Fitness Center