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December 12, 2019

Authentic Pakistani Chai

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This Authentic Pakistani Chai recipe can be prepared quickly and easily over the stovetop. With just a few ingredients that you likely have on hand, you can experience the household chai tea of Pakistan and India. Tips and tricks included for the perfect cup!

Pouring Authentic Pakistani Chai into a white teacup with a silver spoon on the saucer.

Pakistani Tea

Every household is different, but the daily cup of chai the average Pakistani family drinks bears little resemblance to the chai tea latte you find at your local coffee shop.

Top view of white teacups with Authentic Pakistani Chai and a place of cookies.

As cliché as it sounds, chai is more than a drink. It’s a daily ritual that infuses calm and a heightened sense of the moment. It’s something I look forward to and delight in. My elixir.

And then there’s the social drinking aspect. It’s the surprise ending that follows a good meal. It says, “wait, there’s more.” More chatter, more laughter. We’re not done yet.

Chai story time!

In a 2009 trip to Pakistan, we stopped for some chai at a tea stall on the way to Nathia Gali. The place was heavenly but that chai was unforgettable. Luckily I had observed the process – I remember the chai wala (tea vendor) used a ladle to repeatedly scoop up and pour back the chai. I’ve tried this technique and can attest that it does enhance the flavor.

Authentic Pakistani Chai in white teacups and a plate of cookies.

How to make Authentic Pakistani Chai (Doodh Patti)

Making chai is incredibly simple and quite forgiving. To make it, you simply:

  1. Bring the water to a boil and add the tea and cardamom pods. Allow this to simmer.
  2. Add milk and let it come to a boil. Continue to boil, removing from heat as needed or simmer to desired strength. If desired, use a ladle to aerate the chai.
  3. Pour into cups and sweeten as desired.
Close up of Authentic Pakistani Chai in a white teacup.

Tips for the perfect cup of chai:

  1. Once you add the milk and raise the heat to high, remain standing overhead! If you decide to step away even for a second, the chai will take the cue and use this opportunity to boil over. If you’d rather not stand overhead, once it begins to boil, you can lower the heat to low-medium and let the chai simmer. Then proceed with the rest of the process. Simmering will result in a stronger cup but will also reduce the quantity.
  2. Use a ladle to repeatedly scoop up and pour back the chai. This helps develop the flavor and makes it frothy.
  3. Some liquid will evaporate while you’re making the chai, so the amount of liquid you begin with will be more than the end amount.
  4. I’ve given the ratio of 1 1/2 teaspoon of tea leaves (or 2 teabags) for 2 small cups (8 oz), but you can adjust to taste depending on the type of tea. Like with any drink, you’ll discover your preferences over time.
Passing a cup of Authentic Pakistani Chai in a white teacup.

If you try it, please let me know in the comments, tag me on Instagram, or simply message me! I’d love to hear your feedback. Thank you!

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More Pakistani Drink Recipes:

20-Minute Kashmiri Chai
Authentic turmeric milk
Plain lassi (with a secret ingredient)!

Authentic Pakistani Chai

Izzah Cheema
The typical Pakistani or Indian family drinks chai very different from the chai latte you get at your local coffee shop. This is an authentic cup of chai you will find brewing in the typical Pakistani kitchen.
5 from 12 votes
Print Pin
Cook Time 10 mins
Course Drinks
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup* reduced-fat or whole milk whole milk will result in a slightly richer, creamier chai
  • 1 1/2 tsp loose tea-leaves or 2 black teabags (I use Tapal Danedar) or more to taste
  • 1-2 cardamom pods slightly broken or a pinch of cardamom powder (optional)
  • sweetener to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place water in a saucepan over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, add tea-leaves or tea bag and cardamom. Reduce the heat to medium and gently allow this to simmer for a minute or two.
  • Add the milk and raise the heat back to high.
  • As it begins to boil, the chai will rise in the saucepan. Remove the pan from heat before it reaches the top of the saucepan. Do this a few times to really develop the flavor while using a ladle to scoop and pour back the chai. Alternately, once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and allow it to simmer to desired strength (~3-5 minutes).
  • Pour this chai through a small sieve into your favorite cups and sweeten using sugar or honey.

Video

Notes

*Feel free to reduce the amount of milk and increase the water if you prefer thinner, less milky chai. 

Nutrition

Calories: 75kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 59mgPotassium: 156mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 192IUCalcium: 134mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Authentic Pakistani Chai
Did you try this recipe?Please let me know in the comments below. If you’re on Instagram, I’d love for you to tag me so I can see your creations.

Enjoy!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sue Daniels says

    December 10, 2020 at 11:46 am

    Can you recommend a good make and size of pan for making Chai. Thanks. Sue.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      December 10, 2020 at 12:34 pm

      Hi Sue! I’d say at least 1.5 qt..I typically use a 2 quart!

      Reply
  2. Sameeha Ahmed says

    November 21, 2020 at 2:20 pm

    5 stars
    Hello! Just wanted to say that I used the recipe and the chai tasted awesome! Thanks again!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      November 21, 2020 at 2:32 pm

      Thanks so much, Sameeha!!

      Reply
  3. Saima says

    October 6, 2020 at 11:10 am

    Hi! Where are your mugs from?

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      October 6, 2020 at 11:14 am

      Hi Saima! It’s the Eva Zeisel Granit Teacup and Saucer Set – Design within Reach

      Reply
  4. Sophia Ismail says

    September 29, 2020 at 11:28 pm

    5 stars
    Hi! Thank you for sharing such a clear and well explained recipe. I am trying to make the tea as authentically as possible (with me little experience of the actual authentic taste) and so I bought the Tapal Danedar tea as per your recipe.
    It is possible that I boiled my tea for a bit too long (in total 10 minutes including milk boiling time) thus most of the water evaporated and I was left with a bitter tea. I rarely have my drinks with sugar therefore to make it less bitter, should I just add more water or I still have to add sugar? Also, would it make a difference if I add sugar in the pot so that it ll boil together or does it have to be after pouring the tea into a pot?
    And lastly, am I supposed to taste the cardamom? I did put 3 in the 2 cups recipe but couldn’t taste a thing.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      October 3, 2020 at 10:09 am

      You’re welcome, Sophia. Yes, I’d suggest not boiling for the full 10 minutes – that would reduce it down too much given the quantity. I’ve updated the recipe to include simmering time. After you make it a few times, you’ll get a feel for how reduced down/strong you like it. Yes, you can certainly add sugar to the boiling tea. A lot of people do it that way, actually. The cardamom has a very light taste and scent. You can crack it open and use the seeds or crush the seeds to make it stronger.

      Reply
  5. Naffisa says

    August 22, 2020 at 1:36 pm

    Hi
    I need to serve tea for ten people how much water , tea bags and milk should I make it with

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 22, 2020 at 4:09 pm

      Hi Naffisa, you can change the serving size on the recipe card and it’ll change the quantities accordingly!

      Reply
  6. Laraib says

    August 17, 2020 at 8:13 am

    5 stars
    Hi could you help by changing how much millilitres of water and milk for two servings

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 17, 2020 at 11:47 am

      Sure…googled it: 295.7 ml of water and 236.6 ml of milk.

      Reply
  7. Mira says

    July 4, 2020 at 3:00 pm

    5 stars
    Made chai for the first time and it was mom approved! How many times do you let the milk boil up before taking it off the heat entirely? Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      July 8, 2020 at 11:33 pm

      Thank you, Mira! Glad to hear that. I’d say at least 3 times but the color should get deeper. If it boils too quickly, it may need more time to brew. In that case, lower the heat and allow it to ‘cook down’ some more. You’ll develop your personal preference with time!

      Reply
  8. Ballal says

    March 5, 2020 at 12:30 pm

    Great technique! I always add a teaspoon of fennel seeds and a small stick of cinnamon to the tea. Perfect.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      March 5, 2020 at 10:11 pm

      I’ve tried the cinnamon but not the fennel. sounds delicious!

      Reply
  9. Kim says

    February 16, 2020 at 5:35 am

    I grew up in a family of coffee drinkers and could never develop a genuine taste for tea until I traveled to Pakistan and drank tea made this way. When I returned to the U.S. I tried to recreate it but failed until I found this recipe. I followed your instructions and it was delicious, exactly how I remember it in both look and taste. Thank you!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      February 17, 2020 at 9:28 am

      So glad to hear that. You are very welcome, Kim!

      Reply
  10. Mike O. says

    May 12, 2019 at 12:55 pm

    5 stars
    Wonderful! I was watching the HBO documentary “The Case For Adnan Sayed’ and I kept seeing Pakistani fanilies making tea on the range in a saucepan and never seen that before. Obviously I’ve never had tea like this but it looked so delicious and the more scenes they showed the more I wanted to try it. I followed your directions to the T and let it boil up three times while ladling and it came out so thick and creamy, exactly how I thought it would taste the best to me. I used three chai tea bags because I do like a stronger tea, and then added a local dark honey when serving. Will definitely be doing again, thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      May 12, 2019 at 1:24 pm

      Yum! You’ve got me craving a cup now too! I’m so glad you tried & enjoyed it. I love having it with local honey too! Thanks so much for the review!

      Reply
    • Shawna says

      April 24, 2020 at 8:02 pm

      Me too 🙂

      Reply
    • Saima says

      October 4, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      Where are you mugs from??

      Reply
      • teaforturmeric says

        October 5, 2020 at 9:17 am

        It’s the Eva Zeisel Granit Teacup and Saucer Set – Design within Reach

        Reply
    • Michele says

      October 24, 2020 at 11:33 pm

      5 stars
      Mike, I just watched the same documentary which brought me here, as well! I can’t wait to make it!

      Reply
  11. Alta says

    May 9, 2019 at 3:59 pm

    Do you have any suggestions for the best brand of Cardamon pods?

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      May 10, 2019 at 9:33 am

      Look for the ones that are plump and green and don’t look dried out! I know Simply Organic has wonderful ones.

      Reply
      • Kenny G. says

        December 27, 2019 at 10:23 pm

        5 stars
        Just got back from Pakistan and was hankering for a cup and this simple recipe hit the spot! Tastes just like the 4-5 daily cups I’d have in the office there 🙂
        Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
        • teaforturmeric says

          December 28, 2019 at 2:19 pm

          SO glad to hear that, Kenny! Thank you for your review 🙂

          Reply
  12. Missy says

    November 28, 2018 at 9:02 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious. Husband and mother in law approved. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      November 28, 2018 at 9:43 pm

      Glad to hear that, Missy!! Thank you very much for your review!! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Sonia says

    April 3, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, hope you’re okay.. thanks for the great recipe. I’m just a bit confused about one aspect and hoping you can help.. if i’m making chai for two people, will i need two tea bags? And chai for three people will need three tea bags and so on? How do we adjust the tea bags to the amount of cups we will be making? Thanks in advance x

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      April 3, 2018 at 6:05 pm

      You’re welcome, Sonia! With my particular tea bags, one tea bag for one measurement cup is a bit too strong for me. If you’re using a larger mug (about 1 1/3 cups), then 2 tea bags for 2 mugs would, 3 for 3, etc would work. If you’re making a batch of smaller teacups, try adding fewer tea bags at first, and add 1 or 2 later when you add the milk to increase strength. Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Sonia says

        April 4, 2018 at 1:19 am

        It does, thank you so much!

        Reply
  14. Bravo says

    March 24, 2018 at 9:24 am

    Great recipe

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      March 24, 2018 at 11:16 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  15. Nimrah says

    March 11, 2018 at 2:54 pm

    Yay loved this! Question-if we are estimating the water/milk and overdo the water, do we let it simmer a little longer with the cardamom and tea?

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      March 11, 2018 at 8:49 pm

      Thank you, Nimrah! Yes, that’s what I always do!

      Reply
  16. Sidra Ahmed says

    January 15, 2018 at 8:50 am

    5 stars
    I first made a recipe from YouTube which involved putting the milk and water first, and then adding the chai. It tasted so bad I had to throw it out.

    I then made this recipe and it turned out just like Pakistani chai. I just spent the last six weeks in Pakistan so I know the taste perfectly. This method did take longer, but I am happy with the result.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      January 15, 2018 at 3:28 pm

      Thank you, Sidra! I’m so happy you liked it! Yup, this is the way most Pakistani make it. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Rebecca | Becky Keeps House says

    September 11, 2017 at 6:03 am

    I was so exhausted today and really needed a pick-me-up. This chai really hit the spot! So soothing and comforting. Full marks!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      September 11, 2017 at 6:07 pm

      I’m so glad to hear that!! That’s exactly what I was aiming for. Thank you, Rebecca!

      Reply

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