Authentic masala chai recipe with so many different ways to make it. Lots of tips and short cuts even for busy days. This famous beverage from the Indian subcontinent is now yours to enjoy.
Take all the spices in a mortar. Using a pestle, lightly crush into a coarse blend and store in an airtight container. The quantity above is for 4 cups of tea. If using a spice grinder, use the pulse option.
Masala Chai
Choose one of the single spices, mixed spices or 2 teaspoons of crushed chai masala. For first two options, lightly crush spices using a mortar and pestle.
Take one cup of water in a small saucepan. Add the crushed spices or chai masala and bring it to a boil. Then add loose tea or tea bags and boil couple minutes.Tip: Instead of boiling you can turn off the heat and steep the tea for 10 minutes.
Add one cup of milk and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the chai is a nice milky brown in color, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Stir in sweetener of your choice as per your taste. Strain the masala chai into cups and enjoy.
Notes
Tea: Use loose leaf CTC black tea from Assam. If not, use unflavored black tea bags.
Spices: Be sure to use spices that have a fresh flavor and not from old stock. Crushed whole spices work the best for masala chai. For finely ground spice blend — add ½ teaspoon to the tea in the end.
Milk: Whole milk works the best for a traditional milk based masala chai. Half-half, condensed milk, evaporated milk and creamers are other choices.
Sweetener: All options listed in the blog post. Try sugars or syrups with molasses for a traditional masala chai taste.
Milk to Water Ratio: The most common ratio is to use ½ cup milk for ½ cup water. You can use ⅔ cup water with ⅓ cup milk, for a lighter tea. For a richer tea, use more milk or only milk.
Meal Prep: Make the tea decoction and refrigerate for up to 3 days ahead. Heat, add milk, sweeten and serve. Refrigerate leftovers for 4 days. It can also be frozen.
Check blog post above for more tips, other ways to enjoy chai, benefits, etc.