Kitchen Recipe Collection
Indian Masala Chai
The heartbeat of India. A robust, heavily spiced, milky black tea boiled to perfection with fresh ginger and cardamom.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- indian
Ingredients
Scaled for 2 servings
- strong black tea (CTC leaves)
- water
- full-fat milk
- fresh ginger root
- green cardamom pods
- cloves
- black peppercorns
- cinnamon stick
- sugar
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Mortar and pestle
- Tea strainer
Instructions
- 1
Crush the Spices
In a mortar and pestle, coarsely crush the cardamom pods (with shells), cloves, black peppercorns, and a small piece of cinnamon.
- 2
Grate the Ginger
Freshly grate a 1-inch piece of ginger root. Do not use dry ginger powder for authentic everyday chai.
- 3
Boil the Water
In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a rolling boil.
- 4
Add Spices and Ginger
Add the crushed spices and grated ginger to the boiling water. Let it boil rapidly for 2 minutes to extract the intense flavors.
- 5
Add Tea Leaves
Add 2 heaping teaspoons of strong black tea (CTC tea like Wagh Bakri or Brooke Bond). Reduce heat to medium.
- 6
The Decoction
Let the tea leaves boil in the spiced water for exactly 1 minute. The water will turn a deep, dark ruby red.
- 7
Add Milk
Pour in 1 cup of full-fat milk. Increase the heat to high.
- 8
The First Boil
Watch it closely. As the milk boils and rises to the top of the pan, immediately turn the heat to the lowest setting.
- 9
Simmer and Stir
Add sugar to taste. Let the tea simmer on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally or use a ladle to pull the tea up and aerate it (the 'tapri' style).
- 10
Achieve the Color
The chai is ready when it achieves a rich, deep caramel-brown color and a strong aroma.
- 11
Strain
Turn off the heat. Immediately strain the hot tea through a fine mesh strainer into cups or a teapot.
- 12
Serve
Serve steaming hot with Parle-G biscuits, rusk, or spicy samosas.
Cooking Tips
- The order of operations is vital: boil spices in water first, then add tea leaves, then milk. Boiling milk first prevents the tea from steeping properly.
- Aerating the tea with a ladle while it simmers creates a frothy top and homogenizes the milk and water.
Variations
- Adrak Wali Chai (Ginger Tea): Omit all spices except a heavy dose of crushed fresh ginger. Perfect for the monsoon.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- No Indian day begins without a cup of heavily brewed Kadak Chai.
Nutrition Estimate
80 calories · 3g protein · 12g carbs · 3g fat · 0g fiber per serving
