Masala Chai
Photo: Alpha from Melbourne, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0
Masala chai is Indian milk tea simmered with a blend of ground dry spices. This version has you grind your own mix of ginger, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and green cardamom, which stays fresh in a jar for months and tastes far livelier than store-bought powder, since pre-ground spices fade. A strong Assam holds up well against the spice and the milk. Boil it longer for a stronger cup.
Instructions
Combine the ginger, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom pods in an electric grinder. Blend until the spices are evenly mixed into a fine powder.
Transfer the powder to a clean container and keep it at room temperature. Each cup takes only a small pinch, so a full batch will keep you supplied with chai for months.
Put the water and milk together in a saucepan and bring them to a boil.
Add the sugar, the tea leaves and a pinch of the masala powder. Keep boiling until the liquid turns dark, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes. The longer it boils, the stronger the chai will be.
Strain the chai into teacups and serve.
Make it personal.
Custom engraved cutting boards, utensils, and kitchen accessories. Great gifts for anyone who cooks.
Shop Custom Chef →Affiliate link · PicksByRecipe may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
