Masala Chai I
Difficulty 1/5 Ingredients 11 Steps 5
Masala chai is a spiced version of the typical Indian milk tea. As with much of Indian cuisine, the exact mix of dry spices varies greatly and is often handed down in families from one generation to the next.
Ingredients
Masala mixture
- 100 grams powdered ginger
- 25 grams cloves
- 100 grams whole black peppercorns
- 60 grams whole cinnamon, broken small, or 40 grams ground cinnamon
- ½ seed of nutmeg, crushed
- 35 grams green cardamom pods
Chai
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon dried tea leaves—to be traditional, a strong Indian tea such as an Assam is best.
- 1 pinch of masala mixture
- ½ cup milk
Steps
Masala
- Combine all spices. Blend well in electric grinder.
- Store powder in clean container at room temperature.
Chai
- Boil water and milk together in saucepan.
- Add sugar, tea leaves and masala. Boil 5–10 min until dark; longer boiling gives stronger chai.
- Strain into teacups. Serve.
Notes from the original
- Let the remaining solids cool and sprinkle them on your plants for an excellent fertiliser.
- Tea masala or garam masala from a store can be used to get around the masala mixture process; however, pre-ground spices lose their flavor over time.
- When making the chai, boil the water and milk separately, and in step two add the tea leaves and masala to the boiling water, boiling until the tea is as strong as you like. Only then add the milk to the mix. This can speed up the process without affecting the flavor. This method is often used by restaurants to serve chai in large quantities quickly as orders are taken.
- Optionally turn off the heat in the end, cover, and let sit for about 5 minutes for a richer flavor.
- Try adjusting the ratio of milk to water. For a richer milky tea, try two parts milk to one part water.
- Leave out the sugar for a more adult flavor. Sugar can be added while drinking if so desired.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Masala Chai I” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-11-09, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Masala Tea and South Indian Filter Coffee.jpg by Alpha from Melbourne, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.