Classic Masala Chai
Classic masala chai simmers black tea with ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, milk, and sugar for a strong spiced Indian tea.
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12 mintotal
Prep 2 min · Cook 10 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Stovetop.
No inactive time; simmer the spices in water first, then add milk and tea for a full-flavored chai.
Method
In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil on medium heat.
Add the crushed ginger, cardamom, and cloves. Let it boil for 1-2 minutes so the water absorbs the flavors of the spices.
1–2 min
Add the black tea leaves (chai patti) and sugar. Boil for another 1-2 minutes until the water turns a deep, dark red-brown.
1–2 min
Pour in the milk. Bring the tea to a rolling boil.
Once it boils and rises, lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes to get a rich, creamy consistency and strong flavor. (You can pull it up and down with a ladle to aerate it).
2–3 min
Turn off the heat. Strain the tea immediately into cups using a fine mesh strainer.
Serve piping hot.
How to tell it's done
The tea should be rich, slightly creamy, caramel-colored, and strongly aromatic.
Nutrition
Per serving, from 2 servings.
91kcal
Where the calories come from
- Protein3.8 g17%
- Carbohydrate10.1 g44%
- Fat4 g39%
- Sugars
- 10.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 2.3 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 55 mg
- Potassium
- 161 mg
- Calcium
- 150 mg
- Iron
- <0.1 mg
Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.
Getting it right
Tip
Always boil the ginger and spices in water first. Adding ginger directly to boiling milk can sometimes curdle it.
What to serve it with
Best enjoyed with Marie biscuits, rusk, samosas, or hot pakoras on a rainy day.
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