Masala Chai Recipe (Traditional Indian Spiced Tea)

Masala Chai, often known as Masala Tea, is a well-liked Indian beverage made by brewing black tea with a mix of aromatic spices (like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon), milk, sugar, and water. This spiced tea is reassuring, daring, and filled with taste – good for breakfast or your night tea break. Prepared in simply 10 minutes, this home made model is each warming and refreshing.

About Masala Chai Recipe

The Hindi phrase masala means “spices” and chai means “tea.” So, Masala Chai merely interprets to a brewed tea infused with a mix of spices, sugar, and milk.

It’s made utilizing staple components present in nearly each Indian kitchen – black tea powder, water, milk, sugar, and a mixture of fragrant spices and herbs.

If there’s one beverage that really unites India, it must be Masala Chai. Whereas chai by itself is a every day ritual for a lot of, the spiced model holds a particular place in our hearts.

Masala Chai is extra than simply tea – it’s a deeply comforting drink that displays the flavors of residence. The selection of spices might be custom-made in line with household preferences, and plenty of households have their very own distinctive model.

Many Indians not solely love tea however are additionally within the behavior of including varied herbs and spices to their every day brews. These additions differ from area to area and kitchen to kitchen.

It’s truthful to say that the majority Indians can’t think about beginning their day and not using a cup of Masala Chai. The identical holds true for the night, when chai turns into a cherished a part of our every day routine.

As talked about earlier, Masala Chai is made by brewing tea leaves in water with spices and sugar, adopted by the addition of milk.

As of late, for health-conscious drinkers, there are lighter variations with out milk – a clearer spiced tea that’s nonetheless filled with taste.

Relying in your style and well being preferences, the amount and sort of spices can at all times be adjusted; and even omitted.

Spices & Herbs To Taste Your Chai

• Cinnamon – Recognized for its aromatic, heat, woody aroma, cinnamon additionally has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties.
• Cloves – Impart a gentle, sweet-pungent style to the tea. Cloves are excessive in antioxidants and likewise provide antimicrobial advantages.
• Inexperienced Cardamom – Infuses a stunning candy perfume. You’ll be able to crush the entire inexperienced pods or use floor cardamom powder. Cardamom aids digestion and likewise acts as a pure mouth and breath freshener.
• Ginger – A warming and pungent herb that may be added crushed or grated. Ginger helps relieve morning illness and nausea, and is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and good for digestion.
• Extra Herbs – You may as well embody herbs like mint leaves, lemongrass, and spices resembling nutmeg, fennel seeds, black pepper, and lengthy pepper in your chai recipe. Ayurvedic herbs like Ashwagandha and Mulethi (licorice root) are additionally fantastic additions.

I’ve additionally shared an in depth put up on Natural Tea that includes extra details about varied spices and herbs generally utilized in Indian teas.

Which Tea To Use

In Indian properties, the kind of tea that’s used to make our on a regular basis chai is black tea that is available in granular kind. There are two varieties which can be used – Tea Mud and CTC. Each are known as tea powder right here.

CTR refers to Crush, Tear and Curl. The tea leaves are crushed, torn and curled utilizing cylindrical rollers at varied phases. This processed tea has a granular texture or might be within the type of pellets and is known as CTC or Mamri tea.

A stronger tea selection like Assam tea is probably the most most well-liked CTC tea to make this drink. However some of us additionally favor a lighter and milder tea just like the Darjeeling tea.

There are premade mixes of each Assam and Darjeeling tea or Assam and Nilgiri obtainable that can be utilized.

We at all times make our chai with Assam tea powder because the sturdy and daring spices harmonize with the extreme flavors of this tea.

You may as well decide to make use of tea leaves or tea luggage. If utilizing tea leaves then steep them within the water for two to 4 minutes to get the specified taste within the brew.

In India, we will simply purchase the tea powder in any grocery retailer. For those who stay outdoors India, then purchase Assam tea powder or tea leaves or tea luggage from any Indian grocery retailer or on-line. Ideally attempt to purchase natural tea powder or leaves.

On this put up, I’ve shared a recipe that reveals the best way to make Masala Chai recipe with out utilizing the premade Masala Tea Powder.

Tips on how to make masala chai with premade spice combine

When utilizing the Masala Tea Powder, you merely want so as to add it to the water and boil for some minutes. Later brew the tea, add sugar and milk.

For 4 cups of chai, you possibly can add about ½ to 1 teaspoon or much less, extra in line with your style preferences.

For those who take pleasure in spiced teas, you may additionally like this traditional sturdy Ginger Tea and delicately flavored Mint Tea.

Step-by-Step Information

Tips on how to make Masala Chai

Right here is my on a regular basis model of Masala Chai recipe, be happy to adapt it to your style!

This Masala Chai recipe serves 2 to three. It may be simply halved, doubled or tripled by merely adjusting the quantity of components.

Serve Masala tea steaming scorching by itself or with Indian snacks such Onion Pakoda, Samosa, Aloo Tikki, sandwiches, rusk, khari biscuit, nankhatai or cookies.

Crush The Spices

1. Add 1 inch cinnamon, 2 to three inexperienced cardamoms, 2 cloves and 1-inch peeled ginger to a mortar-pestle. Use true cinnamon and never cassia cinnamon.

2. Crush coarsely with the pestle and put aside. However be sure that the ginger is flattened and crushed effectively.

Alternatively select to grate the ginger and add the spices complete or crushed.

Simmer Spices

3. Utilizing a saucepan or small pan with a deal with, warmth 2 cups of water (500 ml).

Let the water come to a boil and add the crushed spices. If required, add a beneficiant pinch of nutmeg powder to the spices.

Both mint leaves or lemongrass can be added at this step.

4. Boil for two to three minutes. Add sugar to style. I normally add 4 teaspoons of uncooked sugar. Some folks favor a really candy tea.

So you may enhance the quantity of sugar in line with your style preferences and likewise on the kind and high quality of sugar you’re utilizing.

Brew Black Tea

5. Now add 2 teaspoons of Assam tea powder or tea mud. Boil for 1 minute. This boiling time relies on how sturdy you need your tea.

For those who favor a deeper and stronger brew, then simmer for a couple of extra minutes. However this will make the tea have some bitter notes.

Word that in the event you use tea leaves then as a substitute of boiling you need to steep the tea. For steeping boil the water along with spices. Swap off the warmth. Add the tea leaves. Stir to combine and canopy with lid.

Steep the tea for two to 4 minutes rely upon the power and focus of the tea you like. Then add scorching milk to the steeped tea. Combine, pressure and serve.

Make Masala Chai

6. Add ¼ cup of milk (at room temperature or chilly). You could add extra milk if required.

For a vegan chai, soy or almond milk or cashew milk may additionally be used. If utilizing soy milk, add to the tea combination and simmer for two to three minutes.

If utilizing almond milk or cashew milk or oats milk, then warmth individually in one other small saucepan. Add to the tea and change off the warmth. Stir to combine.

Don’t let the almond or cashew milk come to a boil in any other case, the tea can have a grainy texture.

7. After including milk boil for two to three minutes. If utilizing chilled milk, boil for two to three minutes. If utilizing scorching milk, then add the milk and change off the warmth.

8. Pour the masala tea by means of a tea strainer immediately right into a cup.

9. Get pleasure from Masala Chai by itself or serve it steaming scorching along with your favourite Indian snacks like potato pakora, cutlet, samosa, aloo tikki, onion pakoda, or bread pakora.

You may as well take pleasure in this sturdy, spiced chai along with your favourite cookies or biscuits, or pair it with gentle tea sandwiches for a comforting snack.

Skilled Suggestions

1. Milk: The quantity of milk added varies from individual to individual. So you may add milk as per your desire.
2. Tea model: The model of tea additionally makes a distinction to the general taste. I at all times use Assam tea as it’s stronger than Darjeeling tea. However I do know some of us preferring a mixture of Assam + Darjeeling tea or solely Darjeeling tea. What I’ve used right here is natural Assam tea which isn’t the identical as tea leaves, however in granules. You could use both one.
3. Spices: You could regulate the amount of spices as required. I might counsel lowering the amount of spice within the summertime as spices enhance physique warmth and sweating. Growing the amount of spice could assist to maintain the physique heat throughout winter or additionally when you’ve got chilly.
4. Making tea: The traditional manner of creating tea is to steep the tea leaves in scorching water. The Indian methodology is boiling the tea leaves for some minutes. I normally add milk later. Although in some households, water, milk and tea leaves are boiled collectively.
5. Robust tea: This recipe is a powerful tea because of the style and aroma of Assam tea together with the flavour of the spices. Alter the quantity of ginger to fit your style.

FAQs

Extra Tea Recipes To Attempt!

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Masala Chai recipe from the archives was first printed on June 2016.