Tip the peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves into a pestle and mortar and roughly grind. Add to a saucepan with the bashed cardamom pods, grated ginger, nutmeg, milk and tea leaves.

Bring the milk to the boil (watch it so it doesn’t boil over), then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add your chosen chai flavourings (see above) and whisk them into the chai, stirring over a low heat for a further 3–4 minutes (make sure the chocolate has completely melted for the hot chocolate chai) and then taste, adding more condensed milk or caramel as you wish.

Strain the mixture from the pan into a teapot or jug, pour into your favourite teacup or mug and serve immediately.

LEFTOVERS: Store leftover condensed milk or caramel in a clean jar in the fridge. Use leftover condensed milk in coffee, as they do in Vietnam, drizzle it over hot porridge, or make roti canai (Norman Musa and Ruby Tandoh have excellent recipes). Leftover caramel is similarly wonderful in porridge or swirled through chocolate brownies.