Masala chai tea is a classic drink from India that’s a big favorite among the locals. In India, this hot beverage is drunk all year round – for breakfast, in the middle of the day and in the evenings.
This is without a doubt one of my favorite drinks, especially during winter when it’s cold outside and you want to keep your body warm. It’s a delicious Indian drink that’s easy to make at home.
It’s a drink made from black tea, milk, sugar, and various spices that are boiled together to get that spicy, delicious and slightly sweet taste. Down below you have a favorite recipe for Masala Chai tea that’s both delicious and easy to make at home.
Masala Chai Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6-8 whole green cardamom pods
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 3-4 cloves
- 2 tbsp grated ginger for less taste of ginger; slice a few pieces of ginger instead of grated
- 3 tbsp black tea preferably Assam or Ceylon tea
- 0.6 L 2.5 cups of water
- 0.5 L 2 cups of milk
- Sugar or honey to taste sugar is traditional
Instructions
- Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, black pepper and cloves to a mortar and crush the spices. You don't need to make it into a powder, but only into smaller pieces.
- Add the crushed spices, ginger and water to large pot and turn on high heat until it starts to boil. When it starts to boil, lower the heat slightly and let it boil for about 15 minutes (the liquid will decrease by a third).
- Add tea and milk to the pot and lower to low heat. Put the lid on and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let it stand for another 5 minutes with the lid on.
- Add honey or sugar to taste.
- Strain the tea through a tea strainer and pour into the cups before serving.
Notes
More about Indian masala chai tea
Masala chai tea is a hot beverage made from black tea, milk and Indian spices. It’s a drink that has become very famous after it was introduced in several cafes around the world.
However, it’s usually chai latte and chai tea that you find in most cafes, which is similar in taste but usually made with a chai powder or tea bags with a taste of masala chai.
The recipe of masala chai tea is usually never the same as many families in India have their own recipes with different ingredients. However, masala chai has 6 main ingredients; water, milk, tea, sugar, cardamom and ginger.
In India, people usually use a black tea with a strong taste, such as Assam tea, but it’s also possible to use other types of black tea if you don’t find Assam in your local grocery store or tea shop.
The spice mix used is called “karha” and consists of a base of ginger and cardamom. Other common spices to add to the karha spice mix are cinnamon pods, star anise, fennel seeds, black pepper, nutmeg and cloves, etc.
Which spices you want to add depends entirely on what flavors you like.
Interesting fact about masala chai tea
- In India, it’s just as common to be offered a cup of masala chai as it is to be offered a cup of coffee or a glass of water in other countries.
- In India, a cup of chai tea costs around 5-10 Indian rupees, which is equivalent to about 0,07-0,14 USD.
- Many families have their own recipes for masala chai and use different spices. It’s part of the charm since it does not always taste the same.
- The spices in the tea are said to have many good health properties. Among other things, cinnamon is known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties, and is also said to fight bad breath. Cardamom improves digestion etc., and ginger also improves digestion and protects against colds and flu.
Have you tried my masala chai recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!