You may have noticed that things were looking a little sparse on these here blog pages last week. The reason for this mini break was because I had dreaded deadlines looming so everything else, and I mean everything, was put on pause as I worked my butt off to meet them. I locked myself away to finish my second novel Destination India, even missing out on going for dinner in my fave steak restaurant if that’s not dedication then I don’t know what is!
For my first novel (Destination Thailand) I didn’t have the pressure of deadlines to meet so I could take my time, write when the muse struck – side note you could be waiting a loooooong time for this – and basically just tinker with it to my heart’s content. With book two everything changed as I now have my publisher, the incredible Victoria at Harper Colins, waiting for me to submit my work to make sure there are no hold ups for when you guys get to finally read it!
This meant I had three months to write an entire book. Yup. Three months. To do this I knew I needed some writing fuel…
As the story is set in India I wanted to bring a taste of Bollywood and bhaji’s to my desk in France. I wanted to both feel inspired and taken back to when I travelled around the country as a solo female backpacker. To do this I whipped up a batch of sweet, creamy and spiced chai tea that I would heat up and sip as I typed. They say smells are the most evocative sense and once I’d had a whiff of cinnamon sticks, cardamom and aromatic spices I could have been back wandering the dusty streets of Delhi.
This easy to make drink is what keeps India ticking with chai wallahs (tea men) serving up this spicy warm beverage all across the country from trains to beaches to side streets you are never far from someone yelling ‘Chai Chai’ at you. The recipe changes slightly depending where you are in the country, some use buffalo or even camel milk, some strain the hot milk into the cup instead of boiling it together and some drink from a saucer rather than a cup to allow it to cool slightly.
Starbucks sells chai tea latte but for the same price you can buy the herbs you need and make a huge batch of it at home. Perfect for the winter months as the nights draw in make yourself a steaming cup of sweet chai put on your snuggly pjs and wrap up in a cosy blanket. A super soothing hug in a mug.
I reckon Destination India should be sponsored by chai tea as this has fuelled so many late nights hunched over my laptop. It still feels unreal that I have now written two novels - a strange but incredible feeling. so for all of you doing NaNoWriMo out there please please keep persevering as typing the end is SO worth the work. Oh and putting the kettle on works wonders too!
I wanted to share my chai tea recipe so you can have a taste of India too. I like mine quite spicy but you can add less spice mix and more tea if you prefer, this is all a question of personal preferences. You can make chai tea from scratch but there are a lot of individual spices you need to buy so to keep costs down I bought a chai spice mix from the local delicatessen. If you are interested in making it all yourself then check this website out which explains all you need.
How to make Chai Tea at home
Pour a cup of water into a small saucepan and add 2 heaped teaspoons of the chai tea dried spice mix plus 2 heaped teaspoons of loose leaf tea or two teabags and bring to the boil. Your nose will soon fill with yummy spicy smells that is hard for anyone to resist…
Remove it from the heat and pour in a cup of milk and a tablespoon of honey (what can I say I have a super sweet tooth!) Bring it back to boil and stir regularly as you want it frothy but not to bubble over the pan.
Take it off the heat and let it sit as you inhale deeply. Ahhhh. Strain it so all the spices and tea leaves don’t end up in your cup. Pour into a large mug and voila – creamy sweet comforting chai tea. This makes two mugs of tea but trust me you will soon be wanting to double the measurements to get your daily fix.
If this has got you dreaming of India then why not pre-order my novel Destination India to read as you drink your chai tea? Hmm books and tea - a winning combination if you ask me.
