How to make Indian Masala Chai | Ginger Cardamom Tea

Indian Masala Chai is a sweetened tea beverage made by boiling the tea, milk and some Indian spices together.  If you have followed me on IG and had a chance to see my daily stories, you might already know my love for a good cup of chai.

Nowadays, I think that the Indian chai doesn't need any introduction, right? The most famous coffee house, Starbucks has already started to sell the Indian masala chai in their cafe. But the commonly used term "chai tea" to mention "Indian chai" is a bit confusing for me when I heard it for the first time. Actually the Hindi language word for tea is 'chai', so the word "chai tea" sounds repeating to me. Anyone with me or am i the only one who thinks that the term "chai tea" is weird ?

Ok, let's leave the name conundrum! First let me answer the common myths about Indian Chai. Typically in our homes, we don't add a lot of spices in our tea on a daily basis. The most common flavor is either ginger or cardamom or both.

Besides, we don't prepare masala chai powder in bulk for household purposes. So the masala chai that are available in North American restaurants or cafes is not how we prepare at home. Indian household chai recipe is a simple straightforward milk tea with one or two spices. That's it ! 

Let's see some FAQs about Indian Chai before moving to the recipe

What's the proportion of milk and water in the chai?

There are  no hard and fast rules here. You can add more or less milk as per your liking. I prefer my chai with 1:1 ratio of milk and water.

What % of milk is good for chai ?

Ideally full fat milk tastes great. But for daily intake, i prefer to make the chai with 2% milk. But you can use whatever you like!

What's the best tea powder for Indian Chai?

In India, I prefer to use red roses. Here in Canada, I like red label brands or any tea powder from Indian brands.

Why is my chai pale in color instead of dark color?

The color of the chai solely depends on the tea powder. If the given quantity of tea powder doesn't give the dark color, you can add a bit more but keep in mind, more tea powder makes the chai bitter.

Is it ok to make chai without sugar?

Yes, absolutely fine. Or you can use any sweetener or sugar alternative also.

How to make Indian Masala Chai

Preparation Time : 2 mins | Cooking Time : 5 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Curry | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Masala chai, Ginger Tea, Ginger Cardamom Tea, Ginger Cardamom Chai,Indian Masala Tea, Chai Tea, Chai Latte Indian Masala Chai is a sweetened tea beverage made by boiling the tea, milk and some Indian spices together.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Milk - 1 cup

Water - 1 cup

Tea powder - 4 tsp

Sugar - 3 tsp

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Green Cardamom - 2 

Procedure

First, in a sauce pan, add the water & tea powder. Next peel the ginger and crush both ginger and cardamom roughly(bring out the flavor well) and then add into the sauce pan. 

Bring into boil, then add the milk. 

Next add the sugar and again bring into boil and let it simmer for 2 mins. Then strain the tea and it's ready to serve.

Flavorful Indian Masala Chai is ready. Serve it with your favorite biscuits or crackers. 

Notes:

• Add more or less of sugar as per your liking 
• Instead of white sugar, you can use the brown sugar also.