Dishoom House Chai Recipe

Crush spices

Lightly crush the cardamom pods, cloves and peppercorns using the flat side of a knife or a mortar and pestle. Break the cinnamon stick into two if it won't fit in your saucepan. Crushing releases essential oils and gives a fuller flavor.

If you prefer a finer masala, pulse the crushed spices briefly in a spice grinder. Otherwise keep them coarsely crushed to make straining easy.

Combine water, spices and ginger

In a medium saucepan, add 4 cups water, the crushed cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and the sliced ginger. Bring to a rolling simmer over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the spiced water for 5 minutes to extract the aromatics from the spices and ginger.

Add tea leaves

Add 4 tsp of strong black tea leaves to the simmering spiced water. Stir once, then allow the mixture to simmer gently for 2–3 minutes. Do not boil violently—gentle simmering brings out the tannins without excessive bitterness.

Add milk and sugar

Pour in 2 cups whole milk and add 6 tsp demerara sugar. Increase heat and bring the mixture back to a gentle simmer. Watch closely to prevent the milk from boiling over. Once it begins to rise, reduce heat immediately.

Let the chai simmer very gently for 3–4 minutes more, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar and let flavors marry. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed. If you want stronger spice, simmer an extra minute or two.

Strain

Remove the saucepan from heat. Using a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain the chai into a heatproof teapot or large jug to remove tea leaves, whole spices and ginger slices.

Pour the hot chai into warmed cups. If desired, grate a very small pinch of nutmeg on top of each cup for aroma. Serve immediately.

Leftover chai can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours. Reheat gently on the stove—do not boil—to preserve texture and flavor.