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Drinks · Indian

Masala Chai

Milky, gingery, cardamom-scented tea, boiled the street-stall way until it turns caramel.

Hands-on
20 min
Total
20 min
Makes
3 cups (about 720 ml)
Serves
3

About 20 minutes start to finish, and you stay at the stove the whole time: milky tea can boil over in seconds.

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • gluten-free
  • tea
  • hot-drink
  • winter
  • diwali

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Masala Chai
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: medium stainless steel saucepan with tall sides · mortar and pestle or a heavy knife for crushing · fine-mesh strainer · cups or a vacuum flask

Contains: milk

Method

  1. Crush the spices

    Smash the 6 cardamom pods coarsely so they split open, and crush the 2.5 cm (1 in) piece of ginger. A mortar and pestle or the flat of a heavy knife both work.

  2. Boil the spices

    Pour 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) water into a medium stainless steel saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cardamom and ginger and bring it to a rolling boil.

    Ready when: A rolling boil: big bubbles across the whole surface that keep going when you stir.

  3. Add the tea

    Stir in the 3 tbsp tea and let it boil for about 1 minute.

    Ready when: The water turns dark brown within about a minute.

  4. Add milk and sugar, then simmer

    Pour in the 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) milk and 1 to 2 tbsp sugar. Bring it back to a rolling boil, then lower the heat so it bubbles steadily (a heavy simmer) for about 8 minutes. If it still looks pale after 4 minutes, add 1 more tsp tea.

    Ready when: Ready when the chai is a rich caramel colour and a skin forms on top, about 8 minutes.

  5. Let it foam once

    Turn the heat to high and watch the pan. When the foam climbs almost to the rim, switch the heat off straight away.

    Ready when: The chai foams up fast and nearly reaches the top of the pan; that is the moment to turn it off.

    Otto tried this firstOtto turns his back to grab the cups and the chai foams over the hob. Stay at the pan for this step: it rises in seconds.

  6. Strain and serve

    Pour the chai through a fine-mesh strainer into cups or a vacuum flask. Taste and add more sugar if you like.

Swaps

  • Instead of 3 tbsp loose CTC tea: the tea from 5 to 6 black tea bags (cut them open, or simmer the bags and lift them out before straining) Strong, plain black tea is what you want.
  • Instead of sugar: jaggery, to taste Jaggery is a traditional sweetener for chai and adds a light molasses note.
  • Instead of whole milk: another milk you like Any type of milk can be used.

Don’t swap

  • Flavoured tea or fine whole-leaf tea for the CTC tea: expensive leaf tea turns bitter when it is boiled this long.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Storage
Let leftover chai cool, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

If something goes wrong

  • Still pale after several minutes of simmering Why: Not enough tea, or a weak tea.
    Add 1 tsp more tea after about 4 minutes and keep simmering until it turns caramel.
  • It boiled over Why: The heat stayed on too long during the final foam.
    Use a tall pan, don't walk away, and switch the heat off as soon as the foam nears the rim.
  • Bitter taste Why: Fine leaf tea was used; it goes bitter when boiled.
    Use granular CTC black tea (Assam-style) for boiled chai.

Good to know

  • A stainless steel pan is the safe choice here: boiling spices and tea can stain or damage cast iron, enamel and non-stick finishes.
  • Simmering longer makes the chai stronger.
  • Whole spices lose their aroma over time; crush them just before brewing.

Safety

  • Boiling milk can foam over suddenly and scald. Use a tall pan, keep the handle turned inwards and stay at the stove.
  • Strain and pour carefully: the chai is close to boiling. Kids should leave the straining to an adult.