Indian Masala Chai
Indian Masala Chai is a home-style drink at difficulty 2/5 (Easy), about 135 kcal. Indian Masala Chai is a home-style drink full of exotic charm. Ingredients and step-by-step instructions are below, with notes for home cooking.
2 / 5
★★☆☆☆
135 kcal
Ingredients
- Black tea (CTC black tea is best, or Assam black tea)
- Whole milk (full-fat)
- Ginger
- Green cardamom pods
- Cinnamon stick
- Cloves
- Black peppercorns
- Sugar
- Small saucepan
Steps
- Pound the ginger (do not chop too finely; just pound it open to release the juice)
- Pound the cardamom pods open with the back of a knife to reveal the seeds inside
- Pound the black peppercorns
- Pour 120ml water into the small saucepan
- Add the pounded ginger, cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, and black peppercorns
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and **boil for 2 minutes** to fully release the flavor of the spices
- Add 8g black tea, continue simmering over low heat for another **2 minutes**, until the *tea infusion color darkens*
- Pour in 120ml whole milk
- Heat over medium heat, **observe closely**; when the milk starts to *bubble up*, immediately turn to low heat (milk tends to overflow easily)
- Simmer over low heat for **2-3 minutes**, during which you can lift the pot and pour the liquid back (repeat this lifting and pouring 3-4 times) to allow the tea and milk to blend thoroughly
- Add sugar and stir until dissolved
- Turn off the heat
- Strain into a teacup using a sieve to remove tea leaves and spice residue
- Drink while hot
Notes
Indian Masala Chai is a home-style drink full of exotic charm. Made by brewing black tea, milk, and various spices, it features a rich, smooth texture with the warm, spicy notes of ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon intertwined. Milk provides high-quality protein and calcium, while the spices help warm the body, drive away cold, and promote digestion. The production process is simple and intuitive, beginner-friendly, taking only about 10 minutes from preparation to the first sip.
Estimated cooking difficulty: ★★
Estimated calories: 135 kcal
Calculations:
Determine how many servings you plan to make before each batch.
Per serving (approx. 200ml):
- Water 120ml
- Whole milk 120ml
- Black tea 8g (approx. 2 teaspoons)
- Ginger 5g (approx. 1cm piece), pounded
- Green cardamom 2 pods, pounded open
- Cinnamon stick 1 small piece (approx. 2cm)
- Cloves 2 pods
- Black peppercorns 2 seeds, pounded
- Sugar 10-15g (adjust to personal preference)
- CTC black tea (Crush, Tear, Curl process) is the best choice for Indian Masala Chai because its granules are small and can release a rich tea flavor in a short time. China's Keemun black tea or Dianhong can be used as substitutes.
- The ratio of milk to water can be adjusted according to personal preference. For a richer milk tea, use more milk and less water; for a lighter taste, use more water and less milk.
- Ginger is the soul of Indian Masala Chai and is not recommended to be omitted.
- Indians like their tea very sweet. If you are not used to it, you can reduce the amount of sugar.
- In India, Chai is not just a drink, but a social culture. Whether for gatherings, business negotiations, or first meetings, everything starts with a Chai. Statistics show that more than 1 billion cups of tea are consumed in India daily.
- Indian street chai stalls (Chai Wala) usually serve tea in clay cups (Kulhad), which endow the tea infusion with a unique earthy fragrance.
If you find any issues or have suggestions for improving the process while following this guide, please open an Issue or a Pull request.