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Masala Chai

Ingredients

  • 3.5  cups of water

  • Sugar or Honey to taste ( Traditionally people use 1tspn per cup; you can omit it if you are avoiding sugar)

  • 1/2 Inch piece of ginger grated

  • 1/2 tspn of cardamom powder

  • 1/4 -1/2 tspn  chai masala (optional)

  • 4 tspns of black tea leaves ( any Indian variety is good)

  • 3/4 -1 cup of whole milk

Recipe makes 4 cups of tea

 

Method

  1. Heat water, sugar, ginger, cardamom, chai masala till water comes to a rolling boil.

  2. Heat Milk in a microwaveable container separately for about a minute till it is pipping hot.

  3. Add the tea leaves. Adding the tea will lower the water temperature. You will need to heat the mixture till it starts boiling again. Then remove it from the heat. Add the milk.

  4.  You can adjust the milk- Add 1/2 cup if you like a stronger tea . Add more if you like more milkier lighter brew. Stir the mixture after each addition to determine if you want to addmore.

  5. If you want a Stronger tea. You may heat it to boil again. But letting the tea steep at this point is much better. If you boil more, the tea will turn bitter.

  6. Filter the tea leaves using a strainer.

  7. Pour the tea into your favorite cup..

  8. Enjoy!!

 

Chai Masala Ingredients

1/4 cup Dry Ginger powder - Soonth

3 tbspn Cardamom Powder

1 tspn Nutmeg powder

2 tbspn Black pepper powder

1 tbpsn Cinnamon powder

1 tbspn powdered Cloves

1 tspn fennel powdered

 

Mix all of these and keep in an airtight, dry container. 

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NOTES:

  • You can leave the sugar out completely if you wish. Just don't boil the tea too much and you will have a lighter less bitter brew

  • You can substitute sugar with any floral honey 

  • In rainy season, Bombayites love to add lemongrass to Chai. Dried lemongrass is available on Amazon.  I  would add 1 heaping teaspoon of dried lemongrass leaves to this recipe in Step 1 during cold winter months. Go easy on the Chai masala if you are using Lemon grass.

  • Try using different brands of tea- In India , the roadside hawkers usually make it with tea blends that are finely ground to almost Tea Dust Like particles to give a strong Red brown color. You can get a similar experience using the "Wagh Bakri" blend of teas. Other traditional Popular Blends are Darjeeling teas which are floral and mild. Assam teas are usually stronger especially blends marked CTC  such as Brooke Bond Red Label 

  • Avoid Tea bags. Anything worth doing is worth doing well!!

 

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