Masala Chai
مصالحہ چائے
Masala chai is everyday milk tea with a handful of whole spices boiled in, the cup Pakistani homes reach for on cold mornings, rainy afternoons and whenever someone has a cold. Fresh ginger gives it warmth and bite, cardamom gives fragrance, and a little cinnamon and clove round it out. The trick is to boil the spices in water first so they release their flavour fully, before the tea and milk go in.
- ⏱ Total: 13 min
- Prep: 3 min
- Cook: 10 min
- Easy
- Serves 2
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Crush the ginger, cardamom and peppercorns lightly in a mortar or with the back of a spoon. Crushing releases far more flavour than slicing.
Put the water and all the spices in a and boil over high heat for 3–4 minutes, until the water turns pale gold and smells spicy.
Add the tea leaves and boil for 1–2 minutes, until the water is very dark.
Pour in the milk, add the sugar and bring it back to a boil.
When it foams up towards the rim, the first , lower the heat until it settles, then raise it again. Let it rise 2–3 times.
Simmer on low for 1–2 minutes more for a , deep-coloured cup.
Strain into cups and serve hot.
Kitchen notes
Always boil the ginger in water before adding milk. Raw ginger added straight to hot milk can make it curdle; boiling it first prevents this.
Go easy on cloves and cinnamon. Two cloves and a small piece of cinnamon are plenty; more will overpower the tea.
A spiced cup for cold days
In Pakistan, plain doodh patti is the daily default, and masala chai is what it becomes when the weather turns. As soon as winter sets in, ginger and cardamom start going into the pot in many homes, and adrak wali chai is the first thing offered to anyone with a sore throat or a runny nose. It pairs well with rusks, biscuits, pakoras on a rainy day, or a slice of cake in the evening.
Boil the spices first
Whole spices give up their flavour slowly, and they do it much better in water than in milk. Boiling the crushed ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves for a few minutes before anything else turns the water into a light spice tea. Only then do the tea leaves go in, followed by milk. This order also protects the milk: fresh ginger contains an enzyme that can split hot milk, and a few minutes of boiling in water switches it off. After the milk goes in, let the chai rise two or three times, lowering the heat in between, and finish with a short simmer for depth.
Variations
- Adrak chai: use only ginger, about 1.5 inches, for a sharper, cleaner cup.
- Elaichi chai: skip the other spices and use 4 or 5 cardamom pods.
- Fennel chai: add half a teaspoon of fennel seeds with the spices for a sweet, cooling note.
- With tea bags: use two bags per cup and squeeze them before straining.
Serving and storing
Masala chai is best poured straight from the pot. If you need to keep some for later, strain it into a flask; reheating chai in the pot makes it thick and slightly bitter. A small jar of homemade chai masala (see the FAQ) makes busy mornings quicker.
Questions people ask
Can I use dried ginger powder instead of fresh ginger?
Yes. Use about a quarter teaspoon of dried ginger (sonth) per two cups and add it with the tea leaves. The flavour is earthier and less sharp.
Can I make a chai masala in advance?
Yes. Grind dried ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper together and store in an airtight jar. Use about a quarter teaspoon per cup.
Is masala chai good for a cold?
Many people drink it when they have a cold because the ginger and pepper feel warming and soothe the throat. It is a comfort drink, not a cure.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 140
- Protein
- 6 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
