In that location's made-from-concentrate, sharply spiced Chai Tea you get from your local coffee shop. And so there'southward the authentic version of Spiced Chai (or tea) that we usually call Masala Chai. This piece of cake recipe uses whole spices and tea numberless to create a warming, balanced, perfectly spiced loving cup of Chai. Whatsoever you're feeling, this volition make it better!

Pouring masala chai into a cup

"This is truly the best thing I have drank in a long fourth dimension. I program to make it every twenty-four hour period now! Cheers so much for the recipe and all the information!"

Jen

Why this recipe?

For many of united states, not much thought goes into making Masala Chai. But if you haven't fabricated information technology before, there are a few things you desire from a recipe. Here'southward why you'll like this one:

  1. It accounts for evaporation. This means you won't set up out to make two cups and end up with half a loving cup.
  2. The ginger is not overwhelming. Indian restaurants frequently add loads of ginger and let their chai sit down for hours, which ends upwardly making it a little uncomfortable to potable.
  3. Adding on to that, the spices in this recipe are balanced and not too pungent. Of course, yous can customize each spice to your taste. But the base spice mix serves a neutral starting betoken and so that no spice is overpowering.
  4. Equally always, it'south precise, piece of cake-to-follow, and tested to perfection!

What is Masala Chai?

Masala chai (or Spiced Chai) is a traditional Indian tea made with spices, ginger, and milk. Though Masala Chai isn't equally pop in Pakistani culture as information technology is in Indian culture, growing up as a South Asian in America, I've had countless cups. Masala chai elevates a regular cup of chai with spices, making information technology even more relaxing, calming, and soothing to the senses. This article from Diaspora Co. showcases the history and evolution of Masala Chai.

Masala chai (tea) in a white cup with froth on top

Chai vs Masala Chai

The word chai just means tea. You have the simple, milky cup of chai, the characteristically pinkish Kashmiri chai, and many other pop versions of chai. Masala Chai is distinguished by the use of spices, or masala, in chai.

Masala Chai Vs Chai Tea

Aye, Chai Tea is a redundant term. (My friend Kathryn'south PSA on phrases similar "Chai Tea" and "Chai-Spiced" explains it best.) But I do think that Chai Tea, initially a rendition on masala chai, has evolved into its ain drink. When I think of Chai Tea or Chai Tea Lattes, I think of the coffee shop drink made with concentrated Chai flavor. Information technology's then dissimilar from traditional Indian Masala Chai, that it can safely be categorized as a completely unlike beverage.

Masala Chai is made by simmering the tea with spices and cooking downwardly the milk. This lends information technology a richer, creamier, more than complex sense of taste.

On the other hand, Chai Tea is fabricated with steamed milk and has a more watered down yet sharp flavor (which comes from concentrate or pulverisation). Masala Chai is typically not manually frothed while a Chai Tea Latte is distinctly frothy.

Finished Masala chai on a marbled surface in a white saucepan

Masala Chai Ingredients

Tea bags, a few spices, milk, and sweetener are all you need to make this soul-soothing cup of chai. As ever, if you're missing a spice or 2, don't let that deter you from making it!

What type of Blackness Tea to employ for Chai

I suggest using strong Pakistani/Indian black tea numberless which are frequently made with Assam or Darjeeling tea leaves using the CTC method. Tapal, Wagh Bakri, Ahmad Tea, and Tetley are some of the brands commonly found in South Asian grocery stores. If using weaker tea or whole leafage Darjeeling or Assam, add together more as needed (usually ~2 tbsp).

I adult this recipe with tea numberless. If yous prefer to employ tea leaves, you certainly tin. Merely depending on the brand, information technology may increment the force of the tea and therefore make the spices more muted. Accommodate past reducing tea and/or grinding the spices.

Other Ingredients

  • Whole spices: This recipe uses iv whole spices that are normally used to brand Masala Chai:
    1. Cinnamon sticks (both Cassia & Ceylon work here)
    2. Cloves
    3. Green cardamom pods
    4. Black peppercorns
    5. Fennel seeds – Optional, but I love how they make masala chai more than vibrant. Some restaurants as well use mint leaves which gives a similar, fresh flavour.
Masala Chai Ingredients such as milk, spices, ginger, and tea bags
  • Fresh ginger root: If I'yard feeling nether the conditions, I'll add some other piece or two of ginger. Otherwise, I prefer the ginger to be subtle. For stronger ginger flavor, employ a mortar & pestle to crush it instead of slicing.
  • Milk: Feel gratis to use whole milk, reduced-fatty milk, lactose-free milk, etc. For a dairy-costless substitute, I've tried soymilk, which takes well to boiling. Here's Minimalist'southward Baker's vegan version of Masala Chai in which she suggests using rich and creamy dairy-free milk such as oat milk or coconut milk.
  • Saccharide: Though a regular cup of chai is fine unsweetened, I find sweetener is critical to cartoon out and balancing the spices of Masala Chai. I love using the less-processed turbinado (similar to demerara sugar) and calculation it while making the chai. This way, it dissolves into the chai instead of settling down to the lesser of your loving cup. You lot can substitute with any sweetener of choice. If using honey or maple syrup, add it once yous've taken information technology off the rut.

Whole Spices vs Footing Spices

I usually use the whole spices equally-is for ease and because I find the long brew fourth dimension is plenty to extract their flavor. Only I accept tried grinding them and it does slightly increment their pungency.

  • For a slightly stronger flavor of the whole spices, roughly crush the spices using a mortar & pestle.
  • For even sharper, more than pronounced flavor, grind them in a spice grinder to make a chai masala pulverization. Information technology won't change the flavor profile or throw off the residual of the spices, it'll just increase their intensity. The drawback of this method is that remnants of chai masala powder may rest at the lesser of your cup.

How to make Masala Chai

Here's how to brand the perfect cup:

  • Pace 1: Place a bucket over high estrus and add water. If you're using a larger pan, add an extra one/iv cup water to account for the extra evaporation. Add the whole spices & ginger while the water is coming to a boil.
  • Pace ii: Throw in the tea bags (or leaves) and reduce the heat to a simmer so the tea and spices have time to infuse the water. Stop and odor the aroma of the spices here.
How to make masala chai step by step
  • Step 3: Add the milk and sugar. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and permit it to simmer for another 5 minutes or so.
  • Step iv: Raise the oestrus to high and permit information technology to come to a rolling boil for a minute or then, depending on how 'cooked' you like the milk. There is no right or wrong, information technology just boils downwards to 😉 preference.
Pouring Masala chai from a saucepan through a sieve
  • Step 5: Pour into cups through a strainer and discard tea bags & spices.

How to Aerate Chai

In Islamic republic of pakistan and India, Chai vendors (called chai walah) use a ladle to repeatedly scoop up and pour back the chai. I find this enhances the taste and creaminess.

Frequently, they'll expertly pour the chai from a distance into small-scale cups, creating natural, frothy bubbling. (Here's a video by Travel Thirsty showing a chai vendor in Bharat making masala chai. Toward the end, he aerates the chai past 'pulling' information technology from one cup to the side by side.)

Upon trying it, I noticed the more narrow the glass, the more than frothy information technology gets (like to how you need a narrow Turkish Ibrik to create froth on Turkish Java). Since most of united states of america don't accept the hand-eye coordination of tea vendors, we tin can use a milk frother to create a like effect.

Frothy Masala Chai (Tea) in a white cup with spices in a plate nearby.

Tips for the perfect cup

  • The blazon of tea you use is extremely of import to the overall flavor. I usually utilize Tapal tea, but this may be more because we're used to it than for its quality.
  • If the color is not deep enough or the chai is non strong enough afterward you've allowed the milk to simmer for a few minutes, feel complimentary to add more than tea bags/tea leaves.
  • Lastly, like with any beverage, you'll observe your ideal cup over time. Even while (gladly) testing this recipe many times, my preferences evolved and fluctuated.
Frothed Spiced Chai with a plate of spices on the side

Variations

  • For a lighter cup, sometimes I like to utilise a smaller quantity (~1/4 cup) of evaporated milk along with some whole milk. In this case, simmer for less time to go on it light.
  • More 'sweet' spices you can try experimenting with: star anise, nutmeg, and saffron.

How to Serve Masala Chai

I love serving any blazon of milky tea with broiled goods, cookies (or biscuits every bit many South Asians telephone call them), or cake rusk. Since I sweeten Masala chai, information technology's perfect as-is.

To Serve Iced: Allow to cool, then store in the fridge until chilled. Meridian with ice cubes.

Holding masala chai on a marbled surface with ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, and fennel on the side

More Pakistani & Indian Drinks You'll Love

20-Minute Kashmiri Chai (Pink Tea)
Pakistani Chai (also called Doodh Pati)
Plainly Sugariness Lassi
Turmeric/Golden Milk | Haldi Doodh

Pouring masala chai into a cup. Spices are shown in the back.

Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment & star rating telling me how it was! If y'all're on Instagram, please tag me and so I can encounter your creations. I truly love hearing from y'all! Thanks!

Masala Chai (Tea) being poured into a cup

Easy Masala Chai (Tea) Recipe – Spiced Chai

Yield: ii cups

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

An authentic recipe for Masala Chai (tea) or Indian Spiced Chai. This easy recipe uses blackness tea bags (or leaves) and whole spices and takes less than twenty minutes to brand!

  • two 1/iv cups (532 ml) filtered water
  • ane iii-inch cinnamon stick, ceylon or cassia are both fine
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 4 greenish cardamom pods, cracked open and deseeded (I throw seeds & pods in)
  • 3 blackness peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, optional
  • 1/2- inch (~4 g) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 black tea bags or sub 3 tsp loose leaf black tea, depending on make, tea bags/leaves vary in strength (Encounter Note 1)
  • 1 cup (8 oz) whole milk, or 2% reduced fat milk
  • 4 tsp (20 g) turbinado cane sugar, or raw cane carbohydrate

  • Medium (1-2 Quart) Bucket – preferably nonstick

  • Heat a medium bucket over high heat. Add together water, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, blackness peppercorns, fennel seeds (if using), and ginger. (Run across Note 2) Bring to a eddy and add together the tea bags or leaves.

  • Reduce the estrus to medium-low and simmer gently for 7-ten minutes, depending on how stiff y'all'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 loftier (or let the milk to come to a boil on its own, equally I do on whatsoever given 24-hour interval). Reduce the rut to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes.

  • When gear up to serve, raise the heat to high and allow it to come up to a rolling eddy for 1-2 minutes, depending on how 'cooked' you lot like the milk. (See Note three) If y'all'd like, apply 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.

Note 1: What type of Black Tea?

  • I suggest using strong black tea bags which are oftentimes fabricated with Assam or Darjeeling tea leaves using the CTC method. Some brands commonly available in South Asian grocery stores are Tapal, Wagh Bakri, Ahmad Tea, and Tetley. If using weaker tea similar Twinings or Lipton, add an actress ane-2 tea bags. If using whole, loose foliage Assam or Darjeeling tea, you'll need around 2 tbsp.
  • I developed this recipe using tea bags. If y'all adopt to use tea leaves, you certainly tin. But depending on the brand, information technology may increase the strength of the tea and therefore make the spices more muted. Adjust past reducing tea and/or grinding the spices.

Note ii: I usually use the whole spices as-is. For an even stronger, more pronounced flavor of the whole spices, y'all can roughly vanquish them using a mortar & pestle or grind them in a spice grinder. Information technology won't change the gustatory modality or throw off the balance of the spices, information technology'll just slightly increase their intensity.

Note 3: Allowing the milk to eddy deepens the flavor and colour of the chai. Boiling as well long makes it biting 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, so store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for upward to iii days.

Calories: 115 kcal , Carbohydrates: 17 g , Protein: 4 g , Fat: 4 g , Saturated Fat: 2 k , Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g , Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g , Cholesterol: 12 mg , Sodium: lxxx mg , Potassium: 231 mg , Fiber: two g , Sugar: 13 one thousand , Vitamin A: 201 IU , Vitamin C: ane mg , Calcium: 182 mg , Iron: 1 mg

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani