Chai Masala
Updated Nov. 2, 2023
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 cups
- 4teaspoons strong black tea leaves, such as Assam, Keemun or English or Irish Breakfast
- 1teaspoon coarsely chopped ginger (no need to peel)
- 2green cardamom pods, cracked
- ½cup milk
- Sugar, to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
42 calories; 2 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 27 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Pour 6 cups water, the tea, the ginger and the cardamom into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Add milk, and sugar to taste, and boil 2 minutes more. Strain and serve.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Ranjana
Try the following ratio of water to milk. 4 to 1, or 3 to 1. This version is too watery. I always go with 3 to 1.
NB
Hat tip from an Indian with chai in their vein: leave a little more water than you need on the stove, throw your ginger in and let it boil away until the water’s reduced and changed colour from the ginger. Only after this: throw in your sugar and tea leaves. Turn it off and put your milk in. (P.S. lemongrass is a great addition too!)
Sharan
I have several variations to this,
(1) typically I often add a bit of cinnamon as well.
(2) in another variation, I use equal amounts of water to milk ratio, e.g. 1 cup of water to 1 cup of milk, but you need to boil it a little longer and keep an eye to make sure it does not spill over.
(3) Ground cardamom can be also substituted.
Aroma & color is a good indicator when it is perfect strength....
Karen Krahl
Good idea to add cinnamon, it's been proven to break down plaquing in the brain. In NYT today. I was looking up triceptor drugs they are experimenting on mice with dementia with, and it reversed their plaques and restored memory within a week. I'll take cinnamon till they get the rest of this worked out. :)
B Sharp
I would suggest use Lopchu tea, that is the best black tea, few fennel seeds, few black pepper corns and some cinnamon to it.
S
I am also a desi masala chai drinker, and I respectfully disagree. My go-to chai masala is: ginger, cardamom, cracked black peppercorns. I agree about boiling.
MM
Tip from an avid chai drinker (and an Indian) -- cardamom and ginger tend not to go together, as the ginger (if properly boiled in advance, like the other commentator noted) is overpowering. If you're looking for ginger, lean in to the ginger. Otherwise, if you're looking for cardamom, try pairing it with some fennel seeds or maybe even some cinnamon (great around the holidays!) Let it boil a tad longer than you think you need to, and the milk will caramelize nicely (but don't let it boil over).
Andrew Harbor
What kind of masala chai only has ginger and cardamom? Who needs a recipe for something so simplified anyway? I mean I’m sure plenty of people make it this way and like it, but it’s not a recipe that belongs in a cookbook or on a recipe site, imo.
Uma Bhatt
Chai masala means the spices to make tea while masala chai means spiced tea. Seeing the name of this recipe I expected a recipe for the spice mix.
Tanga
NYTimes, normally you're spot on, but this was unfortunately very disappointing. Very bland, watery, and weak. Are you supposed to add enough sugar that you don't notice the lack of spices? Overall, this one is a miss.
danny
I recommend a very different means of making Chai. A lot of good quality loose tea is delicate and can become bitter fast at boiling temperature. Instead I do this dairy free 1:1 water/milk ratio: • Lightly boil cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, ginger for 10/15 mins or until it’s reduced to a aromatic brown colour. • Add oat milk, turn heat to high. before it spills take off the heat and let it sit. Then repeat and boil it up again. • Cool to 170/180ish and add tea. Stir for 1or2 mins. STRAIN SUGAR
K
I found this fairly bland for chai tea - I'm personally a fan of much stronger spice! I also feel like cinnamon is essential, but not everybody would agree, I'm sure.
Mary Orms
This was a great starting guide in my opinion. I was happy with the consistency and the ratio of water to milk, but I made a few additions. I used about twice the amount of ginger (I used one small knob), double the cardamom. I added three whole cloves and half a star anise pod as well. I absolutely loved the way it turned out! The way I see it, if you have the whole spices in your spice cabinet, why not use them! Next time, I'm going to throw in a couple whole black peppercorns as well.
Chelsea
Way too watery. Waste of ingredients.
Andrew Harbor
What kind of masala chai only has ginger and cardamom? Who needs a recipe for something so simplified anyway? I mean I’m sure plenty of people make it this way and like it, but it’s not a recipe that belongs in a cookbook or on a recipe site, imo.
Jessie
Use a bag for 3 cubes frozen TJ's ginger and about 1 TBSP loose cardamom seeds. Added 1 small cinnamon stick, some black peppercorns, 3 cloves. Did 1:3 milk:water ratio and added about 1/3rd cup sugar. Two thumbs up from my girls who were requesting this.
Susan
Same steps and ingredients but with oolong and without milk - wonderful.
Badwal
Recommend 1:1 water mill ratio. Add fennel seeds and ajwain seeds in the beginning. If winter, add ginger and cloves. If you have a cough add basil leaves. Add sugar or Indian “gurh” when the milk has been added in. Finally, let the tea simmer with the milk until it all rises and you have to quickly take the tea off the stove.
Kavita
Some households in India also add ground back pepper. For those with access to Indian stores you can buy chai masala and substitute for the spices. Fresh ginger is best in a cup of tea especially on cold winter mornings.
MM
Tip from an avid chai drinker (and an Indian) -- cardamom and ginger tend not to go together, as the ginger (if properly boiled in advance, like the other commentator noted) is overpowering. If you're looking for ginger, lean in to the ginger. Otherwise, if you're looking for cardamom, try pairing it with some fennel seeds or maybe even some cinnamon (great around the holidays!) Let it boil a tad longer than you think you need to, and the milk will caramelize nicely (but don't let it boil over).
S
I am also a desi masala chai drinker, and I respectfully disagree. My go-to chai masala is: ginger, cardamom, cracked black peppercorns. I agree about boiling.
Tali212
I use cinnamon, ginger and cardamom and clove. I use equal water to milk and bring to a boil several times. Tried this after watching chai babbahs keep their tea on the fire for hours. I think that is how they get the rich creamy quality in their chai.
Susan
I used to get the best chai blend from a place called Adavasi in Brattleboro, VT, but they went out of a business. Since then, I've experimented to try to replicate their blend. And while I still haven't entirely succeeded, what comes closest is pretty much the same recipe you have here! The only difference is that I add very coarsely ground black pepper. I also agree with one of the other comments here that the water ratio is way too high. The chai in the picture even looks weak.
Laura
I love chai but was disappointed. As someone said way too watery and very bland. Needs way more spice.
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