From the story: Delicious Life.
Masala chai is one of India’s gifts to the world, and it is best made the Indian way. People outside of India commonly refer to masala chai as chai tea, but that’s like saying “tea” twice. Chai means tea and masala means “an interesting mixture of spices.”
I have visited India many times and observed that masala chai is served throughout the day almost anywhere. There are several variations. The beautiful thing about making your own is that you can adjust the spices and strength to your own taste. I experimented with different proportions of tea, milk, and spices to bring you this recipe. It has just the right amount of each spice for my tastebuds, and I’m sure it will please yours too. Keep in mind that it is necessary to use fresh ginger root.
Most premade packaged masala chai contains heavy sugar or syrup. I use a small amount of dark brown sugar, but you can substitute any sweetener you like. I prefer dark brown sugar to light because it adds depth. Brown sugar also has a rich flavor that the alternatives do not provide.
I am a connoisseur of masala chai, so if you follow my recipe you will have the real Indian version. But the ultimate is drinking it in India!
Authentic Masala Chai
Ingredients
- 1 cup bottled or filtered water
- 1 cup milk cow, goat, or almond
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1 whole star anise
- 3 whole cloves crushed
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds crushed
- 1 teaspoon whole green cardamom pods crushed
- ⅛ teaspoon whole black and white peppercorns half black and half white, crushed
- 2-½ teaspoons brown sugar I prefer dark, not light
- 2 teaspoons loose black CTC Assam Tea the best is a variety known as "Maori" or "little grain" tea. I prefer the brand "Tea India"
- 1-½ tablespoons fresh ginger root, cut into thin slices
Instructions
- Put water in a stovetop pot. Add loose black tea.
- Add fresh ginger slices to water.
- Add cinnamon stick.
- Add star anise.
- With a mortar and pestle, separately crush cloves, fennel, cardamon pods, and black and white peppercorns. Add each to water. Cook on high until it reaches boiling point, then immediately remove from heat and cover. Let sit at least 20- 30 minutes to absorb flavors.
- Add milk and brown sugar and bring mixture back to boiling point. As soon as it begins to boil and sugar dissolves, immediately remove it from heat.
- Strain through a sieve into a bowl to remove all tea leaves and spices. Once it is strained, pour the liquid back into the empty pot and bring to almost the boiling point.
- Pour into cup and enjoy! (If you prefer iced tea instead of hot, can refrigerate and when ready to drink, pour over ice).
