Masala chai as India drinks it today is a twentieth-century habit. The British-run Indian Tea Association promoted tea in the early 1900s, and vendors at railway stations made it their own by boiling cheap CTC leaves with milk, sugar and spices. Now it is poured from kettles at every street corner, office and household, often several times a day.
Good masala chai is strong, sweet and creamy, with spice that warms rather than overwhelms. Ginger gives heat, cardamom fragrance, and cloves, cinnamon and black pepper depth. The key is boiling the tea and milk together and letting the pot rise a couple of times, which tea-stall vendors do by instinct.
At a glance
| Region | Pan-Indian |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Indian |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Course | Beverage |
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Cook time | 8 minutes |
| Total time | 13 minutes |
| Serves | 2 |
| Spice level | Mild |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | tea leaves / milk / ginger / cardamom |
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup full-fat milk
- 2 tsp strong CTC tea leaves
- 2-3 tsp sugar, to taste
- 1 inch fresh ginger, crushed
- 3 green cardamoms, crushed
- 2 cloves
- 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 black peppercorns, crushed (optional)
- 4-5 tulsi leaves (optional)
Method
- Crush the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and pepper coarsely in a mortar. Crush the ginger separately.
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the crushed spices and ginger and boil for 2 minutes until the water turns pale golden and fragrant.
- Add the tea leaves and boil for 1 minute until the liquid turns deep reddish-brown.
- Pour in the milk and add the sugar and tulsi. Bring to a boil.
- When the chai rises to the top of the pan, lower the heat and let it settle, then raise the heat again. Repeat 2-3 times over 3-4 minutes, until the colour turns a rich tan and the chai thickens slightly.
- Strain into cups and serve immediately.
Tips
- Add ginger before the milk; boiling raw ginger in milk can make it curdle.
- Make a batch of chai masala powder (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, dry ginger) and use 1/4 tsp per two cups for convenience.
- For 'kadak' chai, use an extra teaspoon of tea and boil longer after adding the milk.
Serve with
Parle-G or Marie biscuits, samosas, pakoras or bun maska.