Traditional Milk Tea Recipe

Boil water and spices

Pour 2 cups of cold water into a small saucepan. Add the lightly crushed cardamom pod (if using) and a pinch of ground cinnamon or cracked pepper if desired. Bring the water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.

Brew the tea

Once boiling, add 2 tsp of loose black tea leaves (or 2 strong black tea bags). Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 3–4 minutes for a strong brew; simmer up to 5 minutes if you like very robust tea. Stir once to ensure even extraction.

Sweeten

Add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to the simmering tea and stir until dissolved. Taste and adjust sweetness — if using condensed milk, reduce sugar by 1 tablespoon or omit entirely based on desired sweetness.

Heat milk

In a separate small saucepan or in the microwave-safe container, warm 1 cup whole milk until steaming but not boiling (about 2–3 minutes on the stove over low–medium heat or 1–1.5 minutes in the microwave). If using evaporated milk, stir in 2 tablespoons while heating to incorporate.

Combine tea and milk

Strain the brewed tea through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof pitcher or directly into cups to remove tea leaves and cardamom. Pour the warmed milk into the strained tea slowly while stirring to combine. If you prefer a creamier, sweeter drink, stir in 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk now and taste for sweetness.

Adjust and serve

Taste the milk tea and adjust sweetness or strength as needed: for stronger tea, simmer a little longer next time or use more tea; for sweeter, add more sugar or condensed milk. Serve immediately hot in warmed cups. Optionally garnish with a light dusting of ground cinnamon or a crushed cardamom pod on top.