Masala Chai
Learn how to make masala chai in less than 20 minutes with this easy step-by-step recipe. This traditional Indian beverage is made with a mixture of black tea, milk, fresh ginger, and spices.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 74kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced or grated
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cardamom pods
- 2 cloves
- 4 black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon loose black tea or 2 tea bags
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ tablespoon sugar to taste
Instructions
- Boil water and spices: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, ginger, fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and black peppercorn. Bring the water to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to allow the water to infuse the flavors from the ingredients.
- Add tea and milk: Add the tea and milk to the mixture. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Add sweetener: Turn off the heat and add the sugar.
- Strain and serve: Using a fine-mesh strainer, divide the chai into two cups. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use fresh spices: The spices bring this beverage to life so it’s key to be using spices you’ve purchased within the past year at most. Fresh is always better and will make the most flavorful result.
- Use whole spices: Use whole spices instead of ground spices. And for added flavor, slightly crush them using a rolling pin before making chai.
- Sweetener: Instead of using sugar, try using honey or maple syrup. While chai is traditionally sweet, feel free to adjust accordingly or completely omit.
- Milk: While masala chai has always been made using whole milk in India, you can use any dairy-free alternative. Oat milk and almond milk taste great.
Nutrition
Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 1mg