Masala Chai (Tea)
Directions
- 1Add the whole spices to a mortar and crush them lightly into smaller pieces.
- 2In a small saucepan on high heat, pour in the water and add the spices.
- 3Bring the water to a boil and add the tea bags or leaves.
- 4Lower the heat to a medium to low setting and simmer for two minutes, or until the tea leaves and spices have released flavor and color.
- 5Pour in the milk.
- 6Method one - Double Boil: Bring the chai to a boil on high heat, so that it starts aerating and bubbling to the top.
- 7Remove the pot from heat until the bubbles come down.
- 8Replace the pot on the burner and bring the chai back up again to a boil and remove from heat a second time until the bubbles go back down.
- 9Method two - Pulling Chai: Alternatively, use a small cup with a handle or ladle to scoop some of the chai and "pull" it while it’s simmering.
- 10Start by pouring in the chai at a low height and steadily move up higher while continuing to pour the chai back into the pot to create bubbles.
- 11Repeat a few times until the chai is bubbly.
- 12Continue to simmer the chai until desired consistency and color, about 5-7 minutes.
- 13Remove the saucepan from heat.
- 14Strain the chai with a sieve into glasses, mugs, or a tea pot.
- 15Mix in the sugar according to taste, and serve hot.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoon loose leaf black tea, or tea bags
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 clove
- 1 inch knob of ginger, chopped into slices
- 0.25 teaspoon black peppercorn, freshly cracked
- 0.5 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
Equipment
Mortar and PestleSauce PanLadleFine Mesh StrainerKulhads
Tips
- Milk-to-water ratio - Chai should have 2 parts water to 1 part of milk, but if you want it milkier then go with a 1:1 ratio.
- Whole Spices - Use whole spices that are a bit crushed for the best results. This helps release their oils and flavors the tea more. Using chai masala can result in little grains at the bottom of the cup that may be texturally unappealing.
- Fresh Ginger - Fresh ginger has enzymes that can curdle milk. It's best to boil the water with the spices, including ginger, before adding the milk. Alternatively, use dried ginger or ground ginger.
- Rehydrate spices - Boiling the water with tea and spices before adding milk allows the spices to rehydrate and release flavor. Alternatively, get the water to a scalding hot temperature and then add the spices.
- Ratio of Spices - Ultimately, it's up to you to choose the amount of each spice to use. You could omit all the spices except for the cardamom, or you might want your chai more peppery and add more black pepper. You might want ginger chai and add a lot more ginger! Maybe you LOVE a Starbucks chai latte and add more cinnamon. The spice blend is based off of your preference.
- Go easy on the cloves - Cloves tend to be really really strong, you only need 1 or even half of a clove. A lot of desi households make their own chai masala with minimal cloves because it can overpower the tea completely.
- Malai - The film layer that appears at the top of the chai is completely normal and especially shows up when using whole milk. Just mix it back into the chai.
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