Masala Chai
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 3 cups
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Calories
- 119
- Total Fat
- 5 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 3 grams
- Cholesterol
- 22 milligrams
- Sodium
- 85 milligrams
- Carbohydrates
- 14 grams
- Dietary Fiber
- 0 grams
- Sugar
- 14 grams
- Protein
- 5 grams
- Total: 20 min
- Active: 15 min
Ingredients
6 whole cardamom pods, coarsely smashed
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, coarsely crushed (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons black CTC tea (or tea from 5 to 6 teabags; see Cook’s Note), plus more if needed
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for serving, optional
Directions
- Heat 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cardamom and ginger and bring to a rolling boil. Add the tea and cook until the mixture darkens, about 1 minute, then add the milk and sugar.
- Bring to a rolling boil again, lower to a heavy simmer and cook, adding another teaspoon of tea after about 4 minutes if the mixture is not turning a nice caramel color, until the chai is a rich caramel color and a skin forms on top, about 8 minutes. Raise the heat to high and let the chai foam up until it reaches almost to the top, then immediately turn off the heat; be careful that it does not boil over and create a mess.
- Strain into cups or a vacuum flask, so you can leisurely enjoy multiple cups of tea! Add more sugar to taste, if using.
Cook’s Note
There are many brands of black tea that you can buy, but any Assam CTC is a good bet. Some of the more common black teas are Tetley, Taj Mahal and Lipton. Just don’t buy flavored tea or leaf tea, as those are not good for masala chai.