OK I know. You might be thinking, “why the heck are you posting a Thai Iced Tea recipe in the middle of freezing cold winter?” I probably should be posting a warm and hot cozy drink right! However, I do enjoy this drink year-round. It’s nice to have something a little special to drink in the fridge after a long day.
You can buy tamarind pods. If you do you will need to crack them and remove the ‘pulpy’ interior. It can be a bit of work so if you prefer you can find the packaged paste in most grocers now, typically in the Asian section.
This recipe is adapted slightly from a recipe by Alton Brown. Alton Brown I was intrigued by his variation with tamarind pulp, which adds a nice flavor and adds a bit of tang to this delicious drink.
This makes about 4-6 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 cups boiling water
- 6 black tea bags
- 1-ounce tamarind pulp
- 8 green cardamom pods
- 8 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup half and half
Bring your water to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling turn off the heat and add the tea bags, tamarind paste, cardamom, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Cover the saucepan and let it steep for 20 minutes.
Remove the tea bags, strain. Stir in sugar until dissolved, pour into a jug and put in the fridge and let cool for 8 hours.
Serve over ice with a splash of half and half.
If you like this recipe you should try: Homemade Herbal Iced Tea
