Masala chai is like the coffee of India. Most people will drink at least two cups a day! Whenever you visit people, a freshly made cup of chai is always offered.
Masala means mixture of spices, while chai is sweetened tea. The foundation is just loose black tea. What sets it apart from a regular cup of tea is the combination of spices that are simmered along with the tea.
What spices are found in masala chai?
- cinnamon
- cloves
- black pepper
- nutmeg
- ginger
- cardamom
Although I’ve found that everyone has their own preference of spices that make up their chai. People will alter these spices based on how warm and spicy they like theirs. I’ve even heard of some people getting more exotic by incorporating flavors such as: star anise, fennel, or even lemongrass. Really it is up to you! For now, this is a pretty basic recipe. It’s similar to the the chai spice blends you find from Indian supermarkets.
I loved having pretend tea parties when I was little. I think it was really just because I loved the little plastic tea set I had. So I would set up the little tea cups and use whatever pantry items I could get my hands on to have my makeshift tea party.
These days, I still love buying pretty tea cups but unfortunately have no time to actually host tea parties! Most days, I barely have time to grab a tea bag and a mug of hot water. But on the days when there’s a little extra time for a nice cup of tea, masala chai is always on the menu.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in:
Soft Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodles
Chai and Biscuits Ice Cream (No-Churn)
Masala Chai
Equipment
- Masala Chai
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons loose black tea
- 2-3 teaspoons sugar adjust sweetness to your liking, this amount of sugar will make your chai on the sweeter side
- 1 teaspoon ginger freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon Chai Masala See recipe below
- 1 cup milk
Chai Masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground clove
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Masala Chai
- In small saucepan, bring water, tea, sugar, fresh ginger and dry spice mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Once the tea reaches a boil, add the milk, stir.
- Allow the chai to heat up again. Just as the chai starts to boil, remove from heat while stirring to cool it down just a bit. Repeat this process, once or twice until the chai reaches a nice caramel color.
- Strain the chai into a cup and enjoy while hot!
Chai Masala
- Mix together all of the dry ground spices.
- Store in an airtight container.
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