Masala Chai
Masala chai is a spiced tea, made with aromatic Indian spices, herbs and strong black tea. There are subtle variations in the ingredients used in each household according to availability and preference. But adding the spices to the plain tea dramatically changes the whole tea drinking experience.
This is a very simple recipe, so go ahead and try this masala chai with some ginger biscuits and savoury Indian snacks!
Ingredients
Plain black tea (strong) – 2 teaspoons heaped
Full cream milk – 175 ml
Sugar – 2 teaspoons (to taste)
Water – 150 ml
Ginger – 2″ piece
Cardamom – 3
Cloves – 3
Cinnamon – 1″ stick
Bay leaf – 1
Black pepper – 4 or 5
Yield
300 ml
(serving size – 150 ml)
Prep time
2 minutes
(to crush the spices)
Cook time
10 minutes
Method
1) First, crush the ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper with a small stone mortar and pestle.
2) Keep a pan on the stove on medium flame, add the water and let it boil.
3) When the water starts to boil, add the crushed spices and the bay leaf. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes on low flame.
4) Now add the tea powder/leaves. Let this boil for another 2 to 3 minutes.
5) Add the milk at this stage, let it boil further for 2 to 3 minutes.
6) Now strain the tea in a pot and add the sugar.
7) Serve hot!
Notes
- The crushed spices have to boil in the water for at least 2 minutes for the strong flavour of all the spices to seep in before adding the tea.
- Use full cream milk for a rich, tasty, masala chai, rather than using low fat or skimmed milk.
- Adding sugar is completely optional. But to get the authentic masala chai, adding a little bit of sugar is important.
