Masala Chai

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5 from 2 votes

Masala Chai; a perfect drink for any time of the day.

Aromatic spices, dried tea leaves and ginger make it warm, balanced and super refreshing.

Prep Time2

Cook Time8

Total Time10

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 97kcal

Author: Smruti

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup water
1 cup milk
2 teaspoon sugar
3 teaspoon tea leaves
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
1-2 stalks lemongrass (chopped)
1 teaspoon chai masala

Instructions

In a pot add water.
Add grated ginger and lemongrass leaves.
Next add sugar (if using), dried tea leaves and chai masala.
Let everything come to a boil on medium flame.
Once it boils, add milk.
Keep the flame on medium and let the chai come to a boil.
Just when it boils to the rim of the pot, remove from flame.
Then transfer to mugs using a fine mesh strainer. Enjoy hot.

Video

Notes

Do not forget to account for the water evaporation. Start with extra water than what you want to end up with.

Use a thick steel pan to make chai. Thin pans tend to burn from all the boiling. And non-stick pans are not the best to make chai.

Do not boil the water with tea leaves for a long time as it tends to get overpowering and often 'burns' the leaves.

If the chai is not dark enough, simply add more tea leaves, boil for 4-5 minutes before turning the stove off.

Strain the chai before serving. o one likes chai with particles of tea leaves and masala.

The ratio of milk to water can vary based on preference. I have seen it go from 1:10 to 10:1. Pick what works best for you.

If you cannot find ginger or green tea leaves or mint, leave it out. Add what you like as a combination. Also, feel free to add everything of you like it all!

Enjoy chai with your favorite cookies or have it with thepla or rusk.

A thin film called 'malai' often appears on top of chai as it cools. Either mix this in or discard using a spoon.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition