Not Chai Tea, Not Chai Tea Latte - Just Chai (aka Indian tea)

Indian Masala Chai is the lifeline of India, there is no one in India who hasn’t ever had their chai. I think as kids the first thing you are taught at home is how to make chai, so that the parents can enjoy their tea made by kids sometimes rather than having to work hard for it. Haha! At least that was the case at my home. Every corner in India has a chai wala (tea seller) selling tea and is often served in a small earthen pot or glass cups.

The Term ‘Chai’

Chai is a universal term and it is so exciting to see so many people know what "Chai" is. But again it is popularly also known in the western world as Chai Tea Latte which technically means nothing because Chai = Tea and you can’t call something Tea Tea Latte. Chai is always made with Milk and thus adding the word Latte too doesn’t make any sense either. Said correctly or not, now one can deny that the Indian Masala Chai is now making waves throughout the world!

Indian Masala Chai - Recipe

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 240 ml Room temperature water

• 240 ml Whole Milk (cow's milk preferable) You can use Almond Milk but make sure you don't boil the milk too much + honestly, it won't taste as rich as with cow's milk!)

• 3 tsp Black Tea Leaves

• 4 tsp Sugar

• 1/4 tsp Chai Masala/ Chai spice mix

For Chai Masala (Makes 25 g)

• 1 tbsp Fennel Seeds

• 1 tbsp Dried ginger powder

• 2 cm Cinnamon Stick

• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg powder

• 2-4 Cloves

• 6-8 Black Peppercorn

• 8-10 Green Cardamom

• 3 Black Cardamom

Add all these spices to a pan on a low flame and stir for 3-4 mins. Transfer this to a pestle and mortar (to make a coarse powder) or to a coffee grinder (to make a fine powder). Store the chai masala in an air tight container and use within a month.

5 simple steps to warm your heart:

1. In a saucepan, add water bring it to a good boil on medium flame.

2. Add the black tea leaves and sugar and keep on boiling the water on medium flame.

3. Add milk to this now and boil it for another 2 mins.

4. Add 1/4 tsp chai masala and boil for just 1 min.

5. Using a tea strainer, strain the chai into a cup. These strainers are popularly used by bakers to dust sugar on cakes.

And now you can enjoy your delicious, warm drink with some savoury or sweet Indian snacks!

If you are interested in learning some more yummy Indian delicacies, join me for my workshops or explore hundreds of my recipes on my website https://spicetrip.nl/

Love,

Paulami

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Credits:

Cover Image: Sonaal Bangera

Recipe Image: Mahnoor

Recipe: SpiceTrip with Paulami