Swaminarayan Recipe

Brew the base

In a small saucepan, bring 500 ml water to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Add 2 tablespoons black tea, crushed cardamom pods and sliced ginger to the boiling water. If using green tea leaves for a brighter top-note, add them now. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes to extract flavor without excessive bitterness.

Sweeten and combine with milk

Add 3 teaspoons sugar to the spiced tea and stir until mostly dissolved. Pour in 300 ml whole milk and raise heat to medium. Watch carefully to prevent the milk from scalding.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer (do not boil vigorously) and simmer for 4–5 minutes while stirring occasionally so flavors meld and the tea deepens in color. Taste and adjust sweetness.

Strain and finish

Remove from heat. Strain the chai into a teapot or directly into serving cups using a fine-mesh sieve to remove tea leaves, cardamom shells and ginger pieces.

Pour the strained SwamiNarayan chai into warmed cups. Sprinkle a pinch (about 1 tsp) of finely chopped pistachios on top and dust with 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom for aroma. Optionally add a small twist of lime or lemon on the rim for a subtle citrus contrast.

Serve immediately while hot. Leftover chai can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours and gently reheated; stir before serving.