In India, every household has their own unique chai recipe passed down through generations. I am sharing with you how to make strong masala chai, also known as “kadak chai,” renowned for its bold flavor and unwavering consistency. Chai isn’t just a drink for us Indians; it’s a cultural embrace of warmth, connection, and tradition. Every single day, as the sun rises, brewing a pot of chai is inherently soothing for me. It’s a simple pleasure that brings calm before the day’s chaos. And I don’t stop after the morning cup. I often find myself craving another round in the late afternoon. On weekends, the ritual extends with an additional round of chai alongside breakfast. If guests happen to drop by, chai becomes a must once again with indian snacks. And during binge-watching sessions, chai is practically mandatory! As you can probably guess, for me, much like for many Indians, the day revolves around chai.
What is Chai?
In Hindi, the word Chai means “Tea”. “Chai tea” is repetitive since “chai” already means tea. Therefore, it’s sufficient to just say “chai”. In India, chai is a sweet, spiced hot beverage brewed with black tea leaves, boiling water, and milk. Its flavor ranges from strong to mellow but is always sweet, spicy, and warming. It might surprise you, however, traditional indian chai, sometimes, is unspiced. Chai always has milk. On streets, vendors usually go for whole milk (the best choice), though in my recipe, I prefer to use skimmed milk (2% milk). Milk softens the strong flavor of tea leaves and also mellows the warmth of spices to just about right. Let’s talk spices. Adding spices or masala to chai transforms it into masala chai. Most days, I savor ginger (adrak) and green cardamom (elaichi) notes in my chai, a classic combination enjoyed across India as adrak elaichi chai. Yet, on leisurely days or when I crave extra warmth, I spice it up with variety of spices for heightened aroma and flavor. In my gradmother’s home, we used to add tulsi (holy basil) leaves while brewing our chai. I dont find fresh tulsi here and most certainly miss it.
Difference between Chai Masala and Masala Chai
Yes, the order of those two words changes it all! In Hindi, Masala = whole spices or blend of spices Chai masala or tea masala is the spice blend used for making chai. You simply crush the whole spices and your chai masala is ready to use. I use chai masala when making chai flavored desserts such as masala chai ice cream, masala chai tres leches cake,chai mug cake and masala chai tiramisu. Masala chai simply means chai prepared using masala (whole spices or spice blend).
Why You Need A Recipe
I thought long and hard before putting a masala chai recipe out here. Chai is something I can probably make in my sleep. For a good part of my life, I have measured ingredients from the heart and managed a satisfying cuppa. However, I realized that having a precise recipe not only helps me replicate that perfect cup every time but also allows me to share my love for chai with you. And ensure that you can experience the same joy and comfort that comes with well-brewed cup of chai. Here’s is why this recipe works.
Consistent Taste - The biggest surprise during my chai recipe testing was discovering how consistent the taste remained. Despite changing tea brands and spices, the taste remained relaiable constant. With this recipe, you can replicate similar delicious flavor and aroma every time you brew chai. Customizability - This is a slight deviation from what I wrote above, however this chai recipe offers you full control over the ingredients, letting you adjust the proportions of tea, spices, milk, and sweeteners to suit your taste. If you prefer a milder tea flavor, reduce the amount of tea leaves. Enjoy cinnamon but not cloves? Leave out the cloves. Craving a creamier chai? Increase the milk quantity or add half and half. I have broken down my recipe into 4 easy steps and noted precise time for each step. Stick to these times and make a perfect cup each time. Restaurant Taste - If you love to sip on chai at indian restaurants, I have tried hard to match that taste through this recipe. This authentic masala chai is delightfully creamy, sweet, and brimming with aromatic spices. I’ve adjusted the recipe to accommodate different tea cup sizes. If you use large cups (like coffee mugs), you’ll get 2 servings. But if you prefer smaller tea cups (as depicted in the pictures), you’ll get 3 servings. Simple enough, right?
Which Kind of Tea Leaves to Use For Chai
You must use black tea leaves for making indian chai. Tea leaves or “chai patti” (patti means leaves in Hindi) are the soul of masala chai. They contribute to the body, color and aroma of chai. Loose black tea leaves are most commonly use to prepare chai, however tea bags are used in many homes too.
Chai Ingredients
Loose Black Tea - I prefer using loose black tea, however black tea bags work just fine! Read above section for more of my notes. Milk - I typically use 2% skimmed milk, but any milk in your fridge will do—raw, toned, homogenized, half and half, or even evaporated milk. Adjust the quantity to your preference for creaminess, remembering that too much can dilute the tea’s flavor. I usually go for a 1:2 ratio of milk to water for one serving of chai. While milk foam isn’t traditional in Indian chai, feel free to add it if you like. Sugar - I love using jaggery in my chai, however since it is an uncommon sweetner, I have develped my chai recipe using granulated sugar. Cane sugar, raw sugar, brown sugar, jaggery powder(see recipe notes about which stage to add it) all will work great to sweeten your chai. Ginger - A must in my chai! Use fresh ginger and pound it coarsely using mortar-pestle or finely chop it. Don’t grate ginger, it will make your chai bitter. Ground dried ginger has a different flavor profile and isnt 1:1 substitute. If you cannot find fresh ginger, add 2-3 pinches of ground ginger(a little goes a long way). Whole Spices I use green cardamom, black peppercorns, clove and cinnamon(see my notes below).Feel free to skip any spices you don’t have or like. If you only have ground spices, check out my chai masala recipe and add ¼ teaspoon while brewing your chai.
How To Make Masala Chai In 4 Steps
Infusion
Tip - Do not use grated ginger and don’t add it to cold water, it will make your chai bitter.
Blooming
First Boil
Stir & Aerate
Recipe Tips
After adding tea leaves, avoid boiling the chai for more than 5-7 minutes to prevent excessive release of tannin and caffeine, which would result in a stronger, darker, and slightly bitter chai. To sweeten with jaggery, add it to your serving cup, strain the chai, and mix to dissolve. Boiling jaggery with milk can cause curdling. While dairy milk is traditional for indian chai, plant-based options like oat milk work well too.
