Authentic Masala Chai Recipe – Spiced Indian Milk Tea

Indian masala chai is a delicious and sweet beverage made with milk, black tea, and several spices. Here is an authentic chai recipe that you should definitely try.

Most coffee shops serve some type of chai, usually labeled as “Chai Latte” on their menu. Many of us have tried it, but it is still not quite the same as real Indian chai.

The best way to study the secrets of masala chai is to travel to India and learn from the locals. Another great option is to read this article and try my chai tea recipe.

I’m sure you will be surprised by how nice and complex its spicy-sweet taste is!

One good reason to start sipping some chai frequently is the fact that it provides us with many health benefits.

History of Traditional Masala Chai

Tea plants have been growing wild in the Assam region of India for thousands of years. Earlier tea was used as herbal medicine by Indians, and the recreational consumption of tea became popular only in the 20th century through British influence.

At first, tea was consumed in a British manner with only a little milk and sugar added to it. Later Indians developed their own version by adding more milk and various spices to their tea.

Masala chai means “mixed-spiced tea” and today it’s not popular only in India, but all over the world.

Here is a great video about chai. It gives you an insight into the culture related to this delicious drink:

Who Invented Chai? Well, It's Complicated | AJ+

Ingredients

There are countless different variations of masala chai and a selection of ingredients to use. Even when choosing what kind of black tea to include, there are hundreds of choices.

This recipe here is my favorite version but I also make it a little bit different every time.

Milk and Sugar

I recommend using organic full-fat milk for making the chai. If you don’t want to use dairy, you can also use plant-based milk. My favorite plant-based option is almond milk.

For the sweetener, sugar is the traditional option. You can also use natural raw honey instead of sugar.

Spices

When acquiring the spices, I recommend that you get organic high-quality ingredients as much as possible.

The most important ingredients in addition to milk and black tea are fresh ginger, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon. The other ingredients are optional, but I prefer always adding some star anise.

To make things a bit easier, you can also use a ready-made blend such as Vahdam Original Masala Chai. It includes black tea and all the spices you need for making authentic and delicious chai tea.

If you want more options from loose leaf to tea bags, you can find all the best chai brands in this guide.

Optional ingredients:

• 15 black peppercorns
• 5 star anises
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

Preparation

Here is how to prepare the chai:

1. Crack the cardamom pods, cloves, and peppercorns (if you are using them) and put them in a pot. Add thinly sliced ginger, cinnamon sticks, and black tea. If you are using star anise and fennel seeds, you can also add them now. Add the water.
2. Bring to a low boil and cover. Let it steep for at least 10 minutes on low heat. It will be even better if you leave it on a very low heat for an hour or two. This allows a proper infusion of all the flavors.
3. Add milk and sugar and stir it while heating until it’s simmering hot again. Let it simmer for a few minutes to allow the milk to bring out the oil from the spices.
4. Pour into mugs or glasses through a strainer and enjoy!

Chai Recipe Variations

Go ahead and try different variations of this chai recipe. For example, you can try adding different spices (such as white peppercorns, vanilla extract, or ground nutmeg), try numerous varieties of black tea, or use a different amount of spices.

Can you make chai with green tea?

Yes! In the Kashmiri region, chai is often brewed with green tea, so you can also give it a try. This will result in a different taste and caffeine content.

You could even double the amount of all spices and make the chai really strong. Or you can think what are your favorite spices and just add more of them.

If you want to make the preparation process faster you can crush the spices into smaller pieces. Grind the cinnamon sticks and star anises, and grate the ginger. In this case, you need to use a tighter strainer to catch all the pieces from going into your mug.

The Ratio of Milk and Water

You can also use a different ratio of milk and water depending on how rich and thick you like your chai.

It’s even possible to use only a minimal amount of water to get the flavor out of the spices, and then after that, just add a lot of milk. Or you can leave the water out completely, but then you have to be careful to not burn the milk, so you have to use low heat and stir it constantly.

Yerba Mate Chai

I’m a big fan of yerba mate tea (as you might guess from the name of this website).

One question that I get often is: “Can I make chai with yerba mate?“

Yes, of course you can! It will have a bit different flavor compared to the traditional Indian chai made with black tea, but I really like it.

The only thing you need to do differently is to replace the black tea with the same amount of loose leaf yerba mate tea.

I also recommend adding the yerba mate only about 5 minutes before straining the chai because brewing the yerba mate for too long might result in a bitter taste.

Iced Chai

There are also several chilled versions of chai. These are more common in the United States than in India.

Sometimes if I make a big batch of hot masala chai and there is something left, I just pour it into a pitcher and refrigerate it. Then it can be enjoyed later in a glass with ice.

Authentic Masala Chai – Try It!

If you have never tried making authentic masala chai, I warmly recommend that you try this recipe!

It is really a tasty and fulfilling drink that you can enjoy with your family and friends.

Experiment with different ingredients to find the perfect version for your liking!

Please post a comment below and let me know what is your favorite version of chai. Or if you have any other comments or questions they are also welcome. If you tried this recipe, I would love to hear how you liked it.

You can also find many more delicious tea recipes on this site. Here are some of the most popular ones:

• Golden Milk Turmeric Tea Recipe
• Traditional Moroccan Mint Tea Recipe
• 5 Refreshing Iced Herbal Tea Recipes

Enjoy your tea!

-Joonas

Ps. If you liked this recipe, please share it so others can find it too. Thank you!