When Mr H and I set off on a magical tour of India two years ago, we had no idea how much of an assault on the senses (in a good way!) it would be. Everywhere we went we were wowed by the noise, the colours and the smells, but above all, the tastes.

I had my first chai (which simply means tea) by the side of a road in a small village somewhere between Jaipur and Pushkar, served in a small clay cup which in accordance with tradition I smashed on the floor after drinking. The chai was like nothing I had ever tasted before; sweet, creamy and delicately spiced to perfection.

Thus began my love affair – however sadly it was not to be. When I spring cleaned my diet last year, sugar, dairy and caffeine were amongst some of the first things to go. As you can guess, this ruled out my beloved chai on all three counts.

But don’t you worry lovely D&H’ers – our story doesn’t end there! We’ve spent some time at D&HQ perfecting our delicious recipe (if at first you don’t succeed – chai, chai again) and now we’re so excited to share it with you. It’s the perfect morning coffee alternative , but it works just as well as a calming afternoon drink, or a soothing nightcap before bed. So get ready to be transported to incredible India – just remember not to smash your glass on the floor afterwards!

Ingredients

• 1 tsp almond butter
• 1 ripe banana
• A pinch of ground cinnamon
• A pinch of ground cardamom (or one cardamom pod)
• A pinch of ground cloves (or half a clove)
• A pinch of ginger
• 500 ml almond milk

It’s an easy one folks – simply put all the ingredients into a blender until it’s all lovely and smooth. Pour the mixture into a pan and bring to the boil. Then pour into mugs and enjoy.

Love, Mrs H xx