Pottery from Schyler the Potter, a local Traverse City Artist

Masala Chai is a rich blend of warm and inviting spices simmered with sweetened black tea and milk, hailing from India.

It is often called simply chai, or chai tea, but the latter is redundant since “chai” actually means “tea” in Hindi. Essentially, “chai tea” is like saying “tea tea.” Another example of queso cheese for you.

You might find it interesting that masala chai and chai tea/chai tea latte are not the same thing. The spices used are similar, but the key difference is that masala chai has the spices simmered in the tea and milk, where cha tea latte has the spices simmered in just the tea, then milk is added later. Thus, masala chai is richer having the spices fully infuse all the through the milk, and chai tea is not quite as flavorful with the milk toning down the tea.

What Kind of Tea to Use?

Loose leaf tea is a good choice, but tea bags can also be used. Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri are common choices.

Typical Spices

The spices used can vary depending on the region in India. Typical spices include grated ginger, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, star anise, peppercorns, whole cloves, and sometimes lemongrass or even mint or holy basil.

Common Sweeteners

White sugar, brown sugar, Demerara, coconut sugar, honey, and jaggory are all common sweeteners, but you can use whichever you prefer. I like to use maple syrup or honey.

Milk Choices

Water buffalo milk is a traditional choice in India, but that might not be available to you, so whole milk would be the next most authentic choice. Otherwise, use whichever kind of milk or milk alternative you typically use. Half & half makes for an extra creamy and rich treat, or oat milk, soy milk, etc. keeps it dairy free.

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Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

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Masala Chai

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

4 cups water
2 (3 inch / 7cm) sticks of cinnamon
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
4 cardamom pods, seeds removed (roughly 30 seeds)
12 whole cloves
20 peppercorns
Seeds from 1 star anise, optional
8 black tea bags, or 4 tsp loose leaf black tea
4 cups milk of choice
Sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste

Directions:

Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat so water simmers, rather than boiling.
Add all spices and black tea to water; simmer for 5 minutes.
Increase heat and add milk; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Strain tea into a large heat-proof pitcher or container, discard spices and tea. Add sweetener of choice to taste. Pour into mugs and serve. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Jenny’s Notes:

Boiling the spices before adding the milk is important as ginger can curdle milk otherwise.
Another option instead of straining the tea, is to gather all the spices into some cheesecloth and tying it closed with some food-safe string. This is called a bouquet garni, and keeps the spices contained. After simmering for 15 minutes, the bouquet garni can simply be removed, gently squeezed between two spoons, and discarded.
The star anise is optional since not everyone loves its black licorice flavor. I do not care for star anise, but I do actually enjoy it in this recipe, as it melds well with the other flavors and is not distinct.
While maybe not traditional, I like to add a teaspoon or two of grated orange zest and even vanilla extract.