Homemade Masala Chai Recipe
Incase you didn’t know, ‘chai’ means ‘tea’ in India. It’s the one beverage that no one skips out on and is a fixture in my people’s culture. While regular chai is great, masala chai takes your tea drinking experience to another level. My simple and delicious homemade masala chai recipe is easy to replicate and so worth trying.
The key to making this a proper homemade masala chai recipe is using whole spices (not powdered!). You don’t want the flavors to be too overpowering and powdered spices can ruin the final product.
For that refreshing taste, ginger is also a must. It has many healing properties and is especially good when you or someone else is feeling sick. You can either peel it and chop it into small pieces or grate it into the chai.
The chai will be strained anyways so don’t worry about accidentally swallowing a piece of ginger or chewing on leftover spices.
The tealeaves you choose should belong to an Indian brand if you want that authentic flavor. (Teabags won’t work here) Here are a few suggestions:
The masala chai which is sold in India is often served very sweet but don’t feel like you have to dump a ton of sugar in there. You could also use alternative sweeteners such as Stevia, brown sugar or honey. Milk is an important component of chai and I always use regular 2%. However, if you’re dairy free or lactose intolerant, feel free to use a substitute. (Almond/oat milk etc.)
Masala Chai
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp Loose tea leaves *I recommend Tata Tea or Red Label
- Water Use your cup/mug of choice as measurement guides.
- 1 coin Fresh ginger *Grated
- 3-4 Pods Cardamom (Elaichi)
- 1 stick Cinnamon bark
- 3-4 Cloves
- Sugar *to taste
- Milk * to taste
Instructions
- Pour desired volume of water into a deep saucepan and bring to a boil on medium/high flame.
- Once the water is boiling, add the tealeaves as well as the whole spices.
- Grate in the ginger as well.
- Leave to boil for about 5 mins to let the tea strengthen in flavor.
- Adjust the sweetness of the chai by adding your sugar of choice.
- Masala chai is enjoyed with milk so go ahead and pour in your favorite type of milk. (Could be dairy or non-dairy)
- Strain the chai into your cups/mugs to ensure the whole spices, ginger and any milk skin don't get into your final product.
- Allow to cool for 2-3 mins and enjoy!
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