Masala Chai Recipe

5 from 18 votes

This simple Masala Chai recipe is a comforting and aromatic Indian spiced tea! Here is how to make it the authentic way with black tea, whole spices, and milk in about 20 minutes.

Prep Time2

Cook Time18

Total Time20

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Indian

Freezer friendly: No

Shelf life: 4-5 Days

Servings:

Author: Samira

Ingredients

0.4 oz black tea 3-4 Tbsp strong black loose leaf tea (or use CTC tea granules), like Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri, etc. alternatively 3-4 tea bags
1.5 cups milk whole milk is best but 2% will work, or use dairy-free
1.7 oz cane sugar 4 Tbsp;
3 cups water
0.14 oz cinnamon stick 1 stick or 1.5 tsp powder
10 cloves
15 green cardamom pods
0.7 oz fresh ginger 4-5 slices
2 Star Anise optional
8 whole black peppercorns optional, for more "heat"

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Slice the ginger (no need to peel it first).
Use a mortar and pestle and gently crush the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, star anise, and black peppercorns. Add the ginger slices and crush them with the spices.
In a saucepan, add the spice mixture and the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.
Switch off the heat and add the tea leaves (or tea bags). Cover the pan and leave it to steep for 5 minutes.
Add the milk and sugar and bring the tea to a simmer once more.
Optionally, aerate the tea by stirring and moving it constantly to build up a gentle foam. You can also scoop some tea with a ladle or a small cup and pour it back into the pot from a slight height, repeating this until it becomes foamy.
Alternatively, use a small milk frother for a similar effect and extra foaminess.
Strain the spices out of the masala chai through a strainer (pressing on the spices to extract maximum flavor), and enjoy!

Video

Notes

To make ahead: If you want to make a large batch of masala chai up to five days in advance, I recommend leaving the milk out of the mixture. Then, you can heat the individual portions with the milk.

To store: Let the fully assembled masala chai (with milk) cool, and then store it in a covered jug or container in the refrigerator for four days. Note that the flavor intensifies on day two.

To reheat: Gently reheat the spiced tea on the stovetop over low heat, or use a microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between.

Check the blog post for more tips and answers to top FAQs!

Nutrition