How To Make Chai Masala Tea: Masala Chai Recipe

What Is Masala Chai?

Taking into account the favorite drink consumed by people in India, it is possible to note that there is nothing more popular than the Masala Chai also known as the Masala Tea.

This tea is generally made out of black tea that is mixed with spices, sweetener and milk which makes it even more relaxing, stress-calming, and soothing for the senses. Masala chai is an amazing way to soothe your senses and refresh your mind.

Talking about its literal meaning, in India, masala means spice and chai means tea.

Ingredients In Masala Chai

The typical ingredients are:

1. Black Tea Leaves:  The base of masala chai typically comprises a strong black tea, such as Assam or Darjeeling.
2. Whole Spices: The commonly used spices in the making of masala chai are cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
3. Milk: When it comes to India the population generally prefers the full fat or whole milk while preparing the Masala chai. However, excess milk in the tea can significantly change the taste of tea potentially leading to acidity.
4. Sweetener: Also for the enhancement of the taste of spices used in the preparation of masala Chai, sugar, honey, maple, stevia, jaggery, etc can be added, depending upon your personal choice or preferences.

Best Tea For Masala Chai

Black tea is regarded as the base of masala chai. Traditionally, people used to make masala chai with loose tea leaves but the scenario has changed by now. Most people use processed black tea which is available in granular or powder form. There are generally two different types of processed tea in the market- CTC and Tea dust.

Most strong, dark black teas such as Assam or Darjeeling will do the work when it comes to providing a robust flavor that balances the spices. 

You can also use a couple of black tea bags from some renowned tea brands. If not, try custom blending your teas to create your signature flavor.

Also, do not hesitate to use decaf black tea.

Spices In Masala Chai

Spices make the masala chai tasty, flavorful and authentic. All we can say is that every person living in India would have his/her own set of preferred spices for the masala chai.

The commonly used spices are:

1. Cardamom: It has a warm, slightly pungent, rich and very fragrant taste.
2. Cinnamon: It has dried inner bark which has a nice smell and slightly sweet taste like warm cinnamon.
3. Ginger: It is readily available and perhaps one of the most used spices in the world that provides heat and has an unpleasant aroma.
4. Cloves: Clove refers to the flower buds that are compact and square or oblong with a strong and pungent flavor.
5. Black Pepper: Grown from small dried berries, it provides heat with increased palatability on the other spices.
6. Nutmeg: It refers to the ground spice having a pungent smell and a slightly sweet warm taste.

How To Make Masala Chai

Masala chai does not have a single method of preparation. Among numerous ones, we have listed easy ones for your convenience. However, if you prefer an authentic one, you have to scroll further up!

Method 1

1. You can start with anything as fundamental as grinding whole spices with a pestle and mortar.
2. Simmer the crushed spices in one cup of water over heat in a small pot or pan for about five minutes.
3. Include the black tea. Then turn off the heat and let it steep for 10 minutes.
4. You can include milk of your choice. If you desire a ‘thicker’ masala chai- instead of adding water, it can be prepared right from the spices and tea to the milk. Or, if you prefer your masala chai with less milk, dilute the milk with water.
5. Heat and sweeten chai by adding sweetener according to the taste and preference.

Method 2

1. Add the whole spices including 2 to 3 cloves, cinnamon, 4 green cardamoms and 2 peppercorns (optional) to a small mortar pestle or spice grinder.
2. Crush them fine to bring out flavors.
3.  Heat 1 and a half cups water in a sauce pot and add newly made masala chai powder, half a teaspoon ginger as well as 2 and a half to 3 teaspoons CTC loose leaf black tea or 1 and a half teaspoon powder. Or, you can also use 3 to 4 teabags.
4. Bring this to a rolling boil on a medium-high flame and turn it down to medium or low allowing the decoction to boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

Adding Sugar and Milk: Now, you can add sugar as per your requirement and pour 1 cup of full-fat milk into the simmering black tea. Make sure to add the milk only after boiling the ginger well with black tea. In case you are using tea bags, remove them from the pot and keep them aside as boiling them for a longer period disrupts the taste.

Bring the tea to a rolling boil and simmer on medium heat until the tea turns black, for around 2 minutes. The tea starts to thicken with simmering.

Final Result: You will see a layer of cream on top by the time the chai starts to boil. Extinguish the flame. The milk fats are dispersed during the process which makes the pulled masala chai tastes best.

In Pakistan and India, Chai vendors (called chai walah) use a ladle to repeatedly scoop up and pour back the chai. Often, they’ll expertly pour the chai from a distance into small cups, creating natural, frothy bubbles.

Finally, it's time to strain/filter masala chai tea into serving cups.

Authentic Masala Chai Recipe

This is a recipe for real Masala Chai. If you are wondering on how to make this masala chai, prepare it using whole spices, black tea and a type of milk of your choice.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 1-2

Ingredients

• 4–5 whole green cardamom pods (or sub white cardamom pods)
• 2 whole cloves
• A piece or two of star anise (optional)
• 4–5 peppercorns (optional)
• 1 cup of water equal to 237 ml
• 2–3 slices ginger (or more); or substitute 1-2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 piece of cinnamon stick – split the piece of cinnamon depending on its length
• 1–2 tbsp loose-leaf black tea (or 1–2 tea bags) Or sub-decaf black tea
• 1 cup or 237 ml milk of your choice- organic whole milk, almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, and hemp milk
• 2–3 tablespoons (or more or less) of maple syrup, honey, sugar, or any kind of sweetener of your preference

Instructions

1. Take cardamoms, cloves, star anise, and peppercorns and just crush them lightly, put them in a small saucepan with one cup of water. Include ginger and cinnamon. The ginger has to be muddled marginally right in the pot.
2. Cook on low heat for about 5-10 minutes and when it is done, remove the pot from the heat source or just turn off the heat.
3. Pour the tea into the pot (don't boil the tea as it becomes bitter) and allow it to infuse for a minimum of five minutes.
4. Afterward, pour your choice of milk into it. Reduce heat again, let it come to a slight boil, and then turn off the heat.
5. Add in the sweetener of your choice and then mix and give it a taste to adjust the amount of sweetener in a preferred way. When it is bitter, then you require an additional sweetener.
6. Spoon it into cups with a strainer to catch the cherries/residue on the bottom of the cups.

Notes

1. Avoid overboiling the tea: If you boil the tea for a prolonged period, the tea turns bitter and becomes very heavy. Put off the flame, if you start to smell the sweet flavor in your tea.
2. Tea powder/leaves: Factors such as tea powder, and tea leaves along with their brands, help determine the strength of tea. Make sure to adjust the quantities as desired. Experimenting the process for a couple of times may help you get to know the right amount of quantities, so do not hesitate to try.
3. Tea Bags: You should avoid boiling your chai with tea bags for a longer period as it can adversely affect the taste of the chai resulting in a strong or bitter taste. Make sure to remove them at the time of adding milk.
4. Spices: In most cases, whole spices are preferred but in a pinch, you can add or substitute ground spices to taste. Or, you can try adding ground spices at the end. Also, you can increase or decrease the quantity of spices to suit your taste.
5. Milk: There are variations in the consumers of masala chai. Some like their tea to be more milky whereas some prefer less milk in their tea. So, adjust the quantity of milk when necessary. You can use all types of milk if you prefer. If you are using low-fat milk, use milk and water in equal proportions.
6. Batch Making: You can consider making a big batch of masala chai (with no milk) and refrigerate for up to 4 days. After that, you can heat with the milk and sweetener, when needed to serve.
7. Adding a few strands of saffron is more likely to add a unique flavor to your chai. You can also add a few tulsi (holy basil) leaves to potentially enhance your immune system.
8. You can also add more whole spices and more black tea for a more concentrated version.

How To Serve Masala Chai

Typically, people serve masala chai in a glass in India, leaving some space at the top so that it becomes easier to hold the glass. You can also serve the chai in a cozy mug.

Masala chai can be a perfect delicious morning beverage or an afternoon pick-me-up that helps enlighten your day with its flavorful taste.

Also, masala tea can be served in two different ways:

1. To Serve Hot: It can be served with baked goods, cookies, or cake rusk.
2. To Serve Iced: Allow to cool and then store it in the fridge until chilled. Also, remember to top the chai with ice cubes.

Can Masala Chai Be Made Ahead

Yes, you can make masala chai ahead. To do so, you can brew a big batch of chai ahead,(leaving out the milk) and store it in the fridge. And, whenever, you feel like drinking masala chai, you can just simply pull it out from the fridge and heat it with the milk.

What To Serve With Chai

Some of the delicious options that can be served with masala chai include:

• Biscuits and cookies such as digestive biscuits, butter cookies, spicy chai molasses cookies, vegan oatmeal cookies, and shortbread cookies
• Tea Cakes such as pound cake, cardamom cake, or fruit cake.
• Samosas and Pakoras
• Banana Bread
• Jalebi
• Grilled Sandwiches
• Stuffed Paratha
• Mathri etc.

Variations Of Masala Chai

It should be noted that the preparation of masala chai can take various modifications depending on people’s preferences.

1. Adrak Chai: This kind of chai is taken during cold regions or during winter since ginger assists in the body warming and relieving a sore throat. Black tea involved together with milk, ginger and sugar or honey are its major ingredients.
2. Elaichi Chai: This chai has a sweet fragrant floral smell with distinct cardamom spice dominating its profile. That is black tea, milk, cardamom pods, and sugar which are used in the preparation of the tea.
3. Tulsi Chai: This chai uses Tulsi or Holy Basil as its key spice well known for its properties of enhancing body immunity, and reducing stress levels. It is made from the following ingredients: Black tea, milk, fresh or dry tulsi leaves, ginger piece, green cardamom, and sweetening agent.
4. Masala Chai Latte: It is the Western version of masala chai, similar to a latte. It has three components; strong brewed masala chai, steamed milk, and sweetener.