India · India

Masala Chai

Name: Masala Chai
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: loose black tea 6 g; water 300 ml; pasteurized whole milk 250 ml; fresh ginger, sliced 8 g; green cardamom pods 4 pieces; cinnamon stick 2 g; whole cloves 2 pieces; sugar 20 g

Black tea simmers with ginger and whole spices before milk and sugar are added.

15 minutes · 2 servings · Easy

Chai in the Indian sense is boiled tea, not steeped, and the street-side version is deliberately rough around the edges. Every region has its own masala chai, and the cardamom-heavy north Indian cup is quite different from the ginger-forward southern one. Boiling the milk with whole spices instead of using a teabag is what gives it depth, and the sugar is there to soften the tannin rather than to add sweetness.

Ingredients

loose black tea6 g
water300 ml
pasteurized whole milk250 ml
fresh ginger, sliced8 g
green cardamom pods4 pieces
cinnamon stick2 g
whole cloves2 pieces
sugar20 g

Directions

1
Lightly crush cardamom pods. Put water, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves into a saucepan with room for the milk to rise.
The pods are split and spices are submerged.
2
Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 minutes. Add tea and simmer for 2 minutes.
The infusion darkens and smells of tea and spice.
3
Add milk and sugar. Heat gently, stirring, for about 3 minutes until steaming and just beginning to rise; do not leave unattended. Strain into cups and serve hot.
Tea is evenly tan, sugar is dissolved and no whole spices remain in the cups. For storage, refrigerate within 2 hours at 4°C or below; if the surroundings exceed 32°C, refrigerate within 1 hour.

Source: WorldBite Editorial · WorldBite Proprietary Editorial Content