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Masala Chai (Tea) being poured into a cup

Easy Masala Chai (Tea) Recipe - Spiced Chai

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An authentic recipe for Masala Chai (tea) or Indian Spiced Chai. This easy recipe uses black tea bags (or leaves) and whole spices and takes less than 20 minutes to make!
Course Drinks
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Diet Gluten Free, Halal, Vegetarian
Keyword masala chai, masala chai tea, masala tea, spiced chai
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Calories 115

Equipment

  • Medium (1-2 Quart) Saucepan - preferably nonstick

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups filtered water
  • 1 3-inch cinnamon stick ceylon or cassia are both fine
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 4 green cardamom pods cracked open and deseeded (I throw seeds & pods in)
  • 3 black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds optional
  • 1/2- inch fresh ginger peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 black tea bags or sub 3 tsp loose leaf black tea depending on brand, tea bags/leaves vary in strength (See Note 1)
  • 1 cup whole milk or 2% reduced fat milk
  • 4 tsp turbinado cane sugar or raw cane sugar

Instructions

  • Heat a medium saucepan over high heat. Add water, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, black peppercorns, fennel seeds (if using), and ginger. (See Note 2) Bring to a boil and add the tea bags or leaves.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 7-10 minutes, depending on how strong you’d like the tea and spices. It will turn a deep burgundy color and reduce slightly.
  • Add milk and sugar and stir. Raise the heat to high (or allow the milk to come to a boil on its own, as I do on any given day). Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • When ready to serve, raise the heat to high and allow it to come to a rolling boil for 1-2 minutes, depending on how 'cooked' you like the milk. (See Note 3) If you’d like, use a ladle to aerate the chai to deepen the flavor and make it creamier.
  • Pour into cups through a strainer and add more sweetener, if desired.

Video

Notes

Note 1: What type of Black Tea?
  • I suggest using strong black tea bags which are often made with Assam or Darjeeling tea leaves using the CTC method. Some brands commonly available in South Asian grocery stores are TapalWagh BakriAhmad Tea, and Tetley. If using weaker tea like Twinings or Lipton, add an extra 1-2 tea bags. If using whole, loose leaf Assam or Darjeeling tea, you'll need around 2 tbsp.
  • I developed this recipe using tea bags. If you prefer to use tea leaves, you certainly can. But depending on the brand, it may increase the strength of the tea and therefore make the spices more muted. Adjust by reducing tea and/or grinding the spices.
Note 2: I usually use the whole spices as-is. For an even stronger, more pronounced flavor of the whole spices, you can roughly crush them using a mortar & pestle or grind them in a spice grinder. It won't change the taste or throw off the balance of the spices, it'll just slightly increase their intensity.
Note 3: Allowing the milk to boil deepens the flavor and color of the chai. Boiling too long makes it bitter and heavy. The sweet spot (for me) is when the milk to takes on an evaporated, cooked flavor without getting heavy.
Storage: Allow to cool, then store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 201IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 1mg