Josh's Masala Chai Recipe
A creamy spiced masala chai recipe that is highly adaptable, quick, and easy.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 112kcal
Ingredients
- 3 pods green cardamom
- 1 half stick cinnamon
- 3 black peppercorns
- 2 cloves
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup whole milk or full-fat oat milk
- 1 inch piece of ginger unpeeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon loose-leaf black tea CTC | I like Assam
Instructions
- Lightly crush 3 pods green cardamom, 1 half stick cinnamon, 3 black peppercorns, and 2 cloves into small pieces with the back of a knife or a mortar. No need to finely crush the spices - the main purpose is to open up the cardamom pods and increase the surface area of the other spices a bit for toasting.
- In a medium-sized pot, toast spices over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Add 1 ½ cups water, 1 cup whole milk, 1 inch piece of ginger (unpeeled and sliced), and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar to the pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a healthy simmer and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes to infuse the spices. You should be able to taste the spices prominently at this point.
- Add the 1 tablespoon loose-leaf black tea (CTC) and let simmer for 2 - 3 minutes until the tea reaches your desired strength.
- Strain into mugs and serve hot.
Notes
Karishma's Notes:
- CTC tea is a type of tea produced using a process that cuts, tears, and curls the tea into small pellets. You can absolutely use a different type of black tea, but you may need to adjust the steep time and amount of tea.
- There are so many variations of masala chai throughout India and the diaspora, so don't feel like you need to stick to this particular combination. For example, the region where my parents are from uses lemongrass in their tea. Some families steep other spices, like star anise, nutmeg, or mace.
- After the 10-15 minute steep, taste to check on your milk. If the flavor is too subtle, continue steeping the milk. Also, note that different milks will affect the flavor. Oat milk will bring a different flavor to this chai compared to regular milk. Chai made with creamier milk will taste different than a low-fat milk -- we recommend full-fat products.
- For an iced masala chai, cool the mixture to room temperature then store in the fridge in an airtight container until chilled. Serve over ice.
Nutrition
Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 201IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 178mg | Iron: 1mg
