Masala Chai - Mixed Spice Indian Tea
Miles apart from the imitation chai served in most coffee shops!
Method
- Place a medium saucepan onto a high heat.
- Add all of the spices to the pan along with the water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the Assam tea and simmer for 1 minute.
- Add the milk and sugar. It's best to add half the sugar now and then add more at the end if needed.
- Turn up the temperature, keep stirring and turn down the heat immediately as it starts to boil. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Filter the spices out:
- Remove the large cinnamon sticks from the pan (keep these aside, they look great placed inside the mugs)
- Use any method you have handy to filter the spices out. I used a drip coffee filter paper and cone. Alternatively pour through a tea strainer or fine sieve.
- Serve with the cinammon sticks placed in the mug.
Tips
- The base spice in masala chai is usually cardamom. As long as you always have that, you can pick and choose what spices you add to complement it.
- If you don't boil the milk the drink is thought of as "raw". Although Assam can withstand this, I would break tradition and not boil if using a delicate tea such as Darjeeling. Instead gently heat for a minute.
- I've used a few non-traditional spices such as star anise and ginger. Don't be afraid to experiment!
Main Ingredients
- Loose Leaf Assam Tea
- 2 tsp
- Whole Milk
- 350 ml
- Water
- 350 ml
- Brown Sugar
- 4 tsp
- Green Cardamom Pods
- 10, split open slightly
- Cinnamon Sticks
- 1 large
- Whole Black Peppercorns
- 8
- Cloves
- 3
- Ginger
- 10 g (small chunk), peeled
- Whole Star Anise
- 1
- Whole Nutmeg
- 1/2