Masala Chai Recipe

Name: Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Cafés Masala Chai Recipe
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 cups water; 1 cups whole milk; 2 tbs black tea leaves (assam or strong loose-leaf) or black tea bags; 1 tbs fresh ginger, thinly sliced or lightly crushed; 3 pieces green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 2 pieces whole cloves; 4 pieces black peppercorns, lightly crushed; 1 pieces cinnamon stick (1-2 inch); 0.5 pieces optional star anise; 2 tsp sugar (adjust to taste) or jaggery

Inspired by Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Café

Time15m

Serves2

Make Masala Chai Recipe in just 15m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Masala Chai

1 cups water

1 cups whole milk

2 tbs black tea leaves (assam or strong loose-leaf) or black tea bags

1 tbs fresh ginger, thinly sliced or lightly crushed

3 pieces green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

2 pieces whole cloves

4 pieces black peppercorns, lightly crushed

1 pieces cinnamon stick (1-2 inch)

1/2 pieces optional star anise

2 tsp sugar (adjust to taste) or jaggery

Method

Masala Chai

Prepare spices

Lightly crush the cardamom pods with the flat side of a knife to expose the seeds. Lightly crush the black peppercorns and cloves with a mortar and pestle or the flat of a knife. Slice or crush the fresh ginger (about 1 tablespoon). Break the cinnamon stick into a 1–2 inch piece if needed. If using star anise, keep it whole.

Boil water with spices

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water with the prepared ginger, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and star anise (if using). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a gentle simmer and continue simmering for 4–6 minutes to extract the spice flavors. For a more intense spice flavor, simmer up to 8 minutes.

Add tea

Add 2 tablespoons of black tea leaves (or the equivalent tea bags) directly to the simmering spiced water. Stir once, then allow the mixture to simmer for 1–2 minutes so the tea begins to infuse and release color and tannins.

Add milk and sweetener

Pour in 1 cup of whole milk and add 2 teaspoons sugar (or jaggery) to the pan. Increase heat slightly to bring the mixture back to a gentle boil. Watch carefully to prevent the milk from boiling over. When the chai reaches a light boil (small bubbles around the edge and rising steam), reduce heat to low and simmer for 2–3 minutes so the milk takes on the tea and spice flavors. Taste and adjust sugar as needed.

Strain and serve

Turn off the heat. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the chai into two cups (or a small teapot), pressing lightly on the solids to extract remaining liquid. Discard the spent spices and tea leaves. Serve hot in cups. Optional: garnish with a light pinch of freshly ground cardamom or a small cinnamon stick.

Notes and variations

For a stronger tea flavor, increase tea to 2.5–3 tablespoons. To make a dairy-free version, substitute milk with an equal amount of almond milk or oat milk; reduce simmer time slightly as plant milks can separate. For larger batches, maintain a 1:1 water-to-milk ratio and scale spices and tea proportionally (per 2 cups total liquid, use about 2 tablespoons tea and the same spice quantities).