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–+ servings
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Bold Indian-Style Masala Chai (Spiced Milk Tea)

Tanvi Srivastava
Whip up this quick and easy masala chai tea in just 10 minutes stovetop. Made with black tea bags, 2% milk, sugar and warming spices, it's bursting with traditional Indian flavors.
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Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 + ¾ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ginger (½ inch), finely chopped or crushed (don't grate)
  • 2.5 - 3 teaspoon loose black tea leaves or use 3-4 tea bags
  • 2+½ teaspoon sugar adjust quantity to taste
  • 1 cup milk I use 2%, whole milk is fine too

Whole Spices

  • 2 green cardamom pod or ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 clove pinch of ground cloves
  • 3-4 black peppercorn or ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper
  • 2-3 g cinnamom stick (small piece) or two pinches of ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Take milk out of the refrigerator, measure it and let stand on kitchen counter. Gather all other ingredients for making chai.
  • In a sauce pot(use a high-walled saucepot to prevent chai from boiling over). Stainless steel pots are traditionally used for making chai in India.Add filtered water and bring to a rolling boil on high flame.
  • Once the water is boiling, add the whole spices and ginger to it. Let boil for 1-2 minutes to let aroma and flavor of spices to infuse. You can set a timer for precision.
  • After the spices have infused, add the loose black tea leaves(or throw in the tea bags) and sugar. Let the tea leaves bloom for good 2-3 minutes on medium high flame.
  • Once the water looks a vibrant dark brown color, pour in the milk. Using a wooden or a silicone spoon, stir the chai 1-2 times. Right after you add milk, the color of chai will be light brown and the flavor is quite mellow. We need to brew the chai now.
  • Stand nearby and watch closely as the chai reaches a rolling boil on high heat, about 2-3 minutes. Be cautious as it might boil over. After the first boil, the color and flavor of the chai are still relatively light and mild, so further brewing is needed for a stronger tea.
  • After the initial boil, lower the flame to medium and stir the chai continuously for 2-3 minutes. During this time,optionally, you could use a ladle to aerate the chai - this makes for a chai with creamier and lighter texture.
  • Once masala chai is ready, it will have a darker color. Immediately, strain the chai using a tea strainer into tea cups and serve rightaway. If you notice a thin film on top of chai, mix it back using a spoon. You can serve chai with tea biscuits, cookies or just about anything!

Notes

    • 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.
    • Skip any spices that you dont have at hand or don't prefer. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!