Chai Time!

The balance between spicy and sweet in Indian Masala Chai is what ‘Chai lattes’ in Starbucks and other global food enterprises try to imitate. With a few scoops of instant chai powder or squirts of bottled chai flavoring blended with frothed milk, these drinks claim to recreate the rich peppery-milky-sweetness of masala chai that indulges your tastebuds whilst delivering a spicy kick to the back of your throat. The magic of masala chai instantly uplifts, satisfies, and produces a deep-seated warmth in your belly.

The disappointing simplicity of ‘knock-off’ chai lattes compels true chai lovers to learn how to make proper masala chai — desperate times call for desperate measures! It’s not hard and it’s definitely worth it. In the process, you will rediscover the subtleties of flavors: the earthiness of fresh ginger, the alluring fragrance of cinnamon, cloves, and cardamum that each adds its own nuanced sweetness to the medley. It’s time to stave off laziness and quit the convenience of knock-off commercialization.

This following recipe is a product of my many attempts to refine the masala chai to my preferences, and I generally tend to add less milk to intensify the masala flavors. While there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ recipe, you can use this as a start to developing your own perfect cup of chai. Experiment and modify as you wish (suggested alterations listed at the end), and if you’re feeling particularly motivated, look up other varieties of chai for further inspiration!

Servings: around 450 ml, 4–6 teacups (refer to cover image)
Time: approx. 10 minutes

Equipment:
1) Saucepan
2) Mortar and pestle (or any other tool for grinding spices, like a coffee grinder)
3) Strainer

Ingredients:
1) 2 tsp cardamum pods
2) 2 tsp whole cloves
3) 1.5 tsp black peppercorns
4) 2 tsp ginger
5) 2 Cinnamon sticks (try to use Sri Lankan cinnamon sticks)
6) Optional: 1 tsp of cinnamon powder
7) 3 tsp Loose-leaf black tea
8) 3 or 4 tsp Granulated white sugar
9) Approx. 300 ml water
10) Approx. 200 ml whole milk

Directions:
1) Collect the spices you’ll need, and grind with the mortar and pestle (make sure you don’t put too much at a time).
→ For the cardamum, peel the skin and grind the seeds.
→ For the ginger, crush it a few times with the mortar and pestle.
2) Boil the water in the saucepan. When it boils, add the ground spices. Let it boil on moderate heat for 2 minutes and stir occasionally.
3) Add milk into the saucepan and bring to high heat. Watch the saucepan as you wait for the mixture to boil as the milk froth could easily spillover.
4) After the milk froths up, bring heat down and add 3–4 tsp of sugar and 3 tsp of loose-leaf black tea.
5) Leave the saucepan on low heat for 2 minutes and stir occasionally.
6) Remove from heat, and pour the chai through the strainer into the cups.
7) Serve with cookies, biscuits, scones, or savory snacks.

Variations:
- Fennel seeds and/or nutmeg are popular alternatives to sweeten your chai. While fennel seeds add its rather unique sweetness that resembles licorice, nutmeg is a versatile spice that enhances, balances, and adapts to existing flavors. In the above recipe, nutmeg adds a slight caramel undertone. Since it is difficult to grind nutmeg, you can try adding nutmeg powder instead.

- Add turmeric for healthier chai. Turmeric has been acclaimed for its anti-inflammatory properties. Without a strong fragrance or flavor, adding a teaspoon of turmeric will generally not change the taste of your chai. So, why not try adding an extra ingredient that many Indians boasts help prevent alzheimer’s?

- You could experiment with the handling of milk or try different types of milk — soy, almond etc. Across South Asia, just changing the way milk is handled or added to chai can produce drastically different outcomes. You could try frothing the sweetened milk separately, and add it directly in a cup of densely spiced tea, for example.

Be creative and enjoy your chai journey!

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