Masala Chai, or Indian Masala Tea, is a fragrant black tea brewed with spices like cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and sometimes herbs like tulsi or lemongrass. It is sweetened with sugar and finished with a touch of milk. A beloved drink across India, perfect for breakfast time or with evening snacks.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 1 minutes
  • Cook time: 9 minutes
  • Total time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 4 teaspoons raw sugar (or add as per taste)
  • 2 teaspoons black tea (- granules or tea leaves, preferably Assam CTC tea)
  • ¼ cup milk (or add as per taste)
  • 1 inch cinnamon (- true cinnamon and not cassia cinnamon)
  • 2 to 3 green cardamoms
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 inch ginger

Method

  1. Take cinnamon, green cardamoms, cloves and peeled ginger in a mortar-pestle.
  2. Crush coarsely and set aside.
  3. In a sauce pan or a small pan with a handle, heat water.
  4. Let the water come to a boil and then add the crushed spices.
  5. Boil the spices along with the water for 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add sugar as per taste. I usually add 4 teaspoons of raw sugar. You can add more or less.
  7. Now add 2 teaspoons of assam tea powder. Boil for a minute. This boiling time depends on how strong you want your tea. If you prefer a strong intense tea, then boil for a few more minutes.
  8. Add milk. After adding milk boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
  9. If using chilled milk, then boil with tea for 2 to 3 minutes. If using hot milk, then add the milk and switch off the heat.
  10. Pour the tea through a tea strainer directly in the cup.
  11. Serve Masala Chai hot with some Indian snacks or cookies or biscuits.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.