What Ingredients Are In Chai Tea
In India, chai is almost always combined with milk and sugar. Dairy is a large part of the Indian diet and the addition of fresh milk into masala chai is essential for most drinkers. Unlike European style black tea, where warm or cold milk is added to brewed tea, milk in Indian chai is boiled together with the brewed tea.
Because the flavors of masala chai can be strong, plenty of sugar is needed to balance the natural bitterness, making this hot beverage quite sweet. Unlike commercialized American chai, Indian chai is served in small cups instead of enormous, fast-food-style Big Gulps. Because of its high sugar content, some modern and more health-conscious recipes will call for alternative sweeteners such as agave or maple syrup.
Preparation To Make Cutting Chai
1. Keep all the ingredients ready for making the cutting chai. Peel the ginger skin and keep aside. The number of cardamoms in the below pic are only for reference and not the actual amount added in the chai.
2. Crush 2 to 3 green cardamoms in a mortar-pestle.
3. Crush till you get a semi-fine or coarse powder. Alternatively, you can also grind green cardamoms in a small coffee grinder until fine powder is formed. Also grate or crush the ginger and keep aside.
Whole Spices Vs Ground Spices
I usually use the whole spices as-is for ease and because I find the long brew time is enough to extract their flavor. But I have tried grinding them and it does slightly increase their pungency.
- For a slightly stronger flavor of the whole spices, roughly crush the spices using a mortar & pestle.
- For even sharper, more pronounced flavor, grind them in a spice grinder to make a chai masala powder. It wont change the flavor profile or throw off the balance of the spices, itll just increase their intensity. The drawback of this method is that remnants of chai masala powder may rest at the bottom of your cup.
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Masala Lemon Tea Recipe
Love the idea of adding a spot of citrus to your masala tea? If you do, then the good news is that masala lemon tea is a thing . The idea of this is that you make masala tea the usual way, adding your chosen spices to transform black tea.
At the end of the process, when you are ready to serve up your tea, you can add lemon juice to it and a little bit of honey to keep it as sweet as possible.
Best Spicy: Rishi Tea & Botanicals Spicy Masala Chai Organic Tea Blend
Do you brace at the idea of spicy chai? Even though the spice list is long for this spicy masala chai blend from Rishi Tea, its harmonious in how the tea stands up to the usual suspects of masala chai: cardamom, ginger root, cinnamon, and cloves. The black pepper heat is pumped up by the addition of organic cayenne chili flakes and essential ginger oil. If masala chai is a hug, this zippy blend is more like a bear hug. It’s available in a 1-pound bag of loose tea.
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The Chai Tea Spice Mix Karha
We keep our blend of chai spices, called karha, and the tea separate so we can vary the tea variety and steep it just the way we want. On most occasions we use whatever black tea is in the house, but if we want to go caffeine free we reach for the Rooibos. If were feeling really crazy, we use green tea yup, were pretty wild around here!
Our karha includes cinnamon sticks, cloves, coriander seeds, allspice, ginger, peppercorns, green cardamom pods and star anise. These are fairly common ingredients in any masala chai mix. The green cardamom is the star of the show and a must have in chai. Star anise adds a hint of licorice flavor and is sometimes replaced by fennel seeds or licorice root. The black peppercorn and allspice add a spicy bite . Cloves with their strong musty flavor are another staple in chai. The coriander seeds add a little sweetness I like adding them because theyre from our garden. Cinnamon and ginger are also pretty standard flavors.
The following recipe is just a starting point, make your chai mix to suit your preferences.
What Type Of Milk To Use In Masala Chai
- In India, whole milk is typically used in Masala Chai.
- For a plant-based chai, try almond milk or oat milk both work great.
- If you like a rich masala chai- add one full cup of milk. If you like a thinner chai, you can cut the milk with water for example, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water.
- So in a nutshell, if you like a richer, thicker tea, use more milk simmering the spices and tea, right in the milk. Or if you like a lighter masala chai, cut the milk with water. Up to you- a personal preference.
6. Heat and sweeten
Bring the milk and tea just to a boil again, then add sweetener.
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Does Chai Tea Have Caffeine
What we think of as chai is masala chai, which is typically a blend of highly caffeinated black tea and spices. Kashmiri-style Kahwa chai is made with lightly caffeinated green tea and cardamom with almonds. For a caffeine-free option, a good pick would be a rooibos masala chai, as this red tea herb that originates in South Africa tastes the most like black tea but without the caffeine.
How To Make A Chai Tea Concentrate
For those of you whove been used to purchasing chai concentrates in a box, transitioning to loose leaf right off the bat may produce a different flavor or intensity of flavors than youre used to. The good news? Creating your own chai concentrate at home couldnt be easier! Follow the recipe below, and simply heat it up at equal parts concentrate to milk of your choice, and youll have a delicious beverage that has you wondering why youve ever paid more than a few pennies for a chai latte outside the comfort of your own home.
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Best Unsweetened: One Stripe Chai Co 32oz Unsweetened Chai Concentrate
While masala chai typically is assertive in its tea and spice, sometimes necessity means skipping the sweet. The majority of masala chai concentrates in the market are all pre-sweetened. Instead of going for pre-sweetened sugar-free versions, you can opt for One Stripe Chai Co.’s unsweetened masala chai concentrate. Its aroma yields a fresh citrusy spice bouquet for a cup of robust black tea with a sharp but not abrasive spice profile. It’s available in 32-ounce glass bottles.
For the green tea fan who still wants the lively spices of a masala chai, consider the bold green chai from Republic of Tea. Made with organic Indian green tea mixed with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and clove, this tea is flavor-forward, and the spices heat up the throat and mouth. Its a well-balanced blend, good on its own or with a splash of milk. It’s available in a chai stackable trio of tins or a 36-bag pack.
Rooibos is a wonder herb. This spindly red bush leaf that originates in South Africa lends a tea flavor without the caffeine. MEM Tea Imports herbal chai is the caffeine-free masala chai that rose to the top with its well-rounded bouquet and flavor profile, warming with spices, but subtle honeyed notes of rooibos peeking through. It’s available in 2-ounce to 1-pound sizes of loose tea.
How To Froth Milk For Any Latte
Youve brewed, spiced, and sweetened your tea, and now you must froth your milk unless youd rather have a classic cup of chai rather than a chai latte. The problem? You dont own an espresso machine or a frothing wand. Luckily there are three clever ways you can froth your milk for lattes.
Whisk it: You can vigorously whisk your milk while heating it on the stovetop, which weve written into the directions below. This method works best with 2% dairy milk and coconut milk.
Blend it: You can also froth the milk with an immersion blender before heating the milk in a saucepan on the stovetop. This method is best for non-dairy milks, like soy or almond milk, but also works with coconut milk, whole milk, or 2%.
Shake it: The other method is to shake the milk in a jar and then heat the milk post-frothing. This method works especially well with whole milk and nut milks.
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What Spices Are Used In Masala Chai
Chai Wallahs- the street vendors who make masala chai, all have their own unique blend of chai spices as well- and as you can probably guess, I was obsessed with watching them make their creations.
These are the chai spices I saw used the most in India:
- Fresh ginger
I especially love the green cardamom pods I picked up in India. So here is a starting point for you but feel free to improvise and fine-tune to your own taste.
Brew Extra For The Week
Want to enjoy several cups throughout the week? Brew an extra large pot full and save in the fridge.
Triple or quadruple the recipe. Pour the extras into glass mason jars through a fine mesh strainer. Seal and store for 4-5 days in the fridge. Reheat as needed. Easy peasy.
Fun Fact
Did you know that the word chai means tea in several languages? So when we say chai tea were really saying tea tea. Technically, I should say masala chai, which literally means mixed spice tea. Oh the funny things that happen when cultures play together!
Here are some other funny redundant foodie terms:
Naan bread Naan means bread
Panini Sandwich Panini means sandwich
Shrimp Scampi scampi means shrimp
Queso Cheese Queso means cheese
Ahi Tuna Fish tuna is a fish and ahi means tuna so youre eating fish fish fish
Can you think of any others?
Discuss among yourself as youre sipping on a lovely cup of chai tea! Then let me know what you come up with.
delivered to your inbox. Youll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this. Getty is a Professional Home Economist, speaker and writer putting good food on tables and agendas. She is the author of Manitobas best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.
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How To Make Spicy Tea Masala
The nature of masala tea is that it is supposed to be lightly spiced, but some people prefer to have a slightly spicier tea than the standard. If this is the case for you, you can always up the spices you use more cinnamon can increase your tea’s spice level, as can the ginger. However, be aware that these ingredients can transform the flavor of the tea.
The Difference Between A Good And Great Chai Tea Latte Recipe
What you put into your chai tea latte will make or break your glorious bevvie, so be selective when you pick your chai latte ingredients. First things firsttea! Use a spicy and bold chai tea blend that will stand up to your milk or milk substitute. The good news is you can use any of our chai teas for your latte. If you are the more-is-more type, try our Double Spice Chai, Ginger Fire Chai, or our seasonal Holiday Chai tea for that extra kick of flavor. But no matter which tea flavor you go with, you’ll start by steeping it double-strength .
The next ingredient you need for your drink is milk. We recommend whole milk for a creamy tea drink, but if you prefer a skinny chai tea latte go with skim milk. We also love using nut milks to create interesting flavor profiles, like chai tea lattes with almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk. Lastly, sweeten up your cuppa with honey or sugar, and sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on top for a finishing touch.
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How To Make Chai Tea At Home
A recipe is not really necessary its really the method that matters.
Youll need roughly one part milk to two parts water, lots of tea leaves or tea bags, strong infusion, plenty of sugar, and optional addition of sweet spices.
Heres how to make Indian chai tea at home:
Scale the measurements below to the number of servings you need.
What Tea Do You Use For Chai
- The base of the Masala Chai is typically black tea. Most strong, rich, dark black teas will work well in Masala Chai- something robust enough to hold up to all the flavorful spices. The tea need not be expensive.
- Assam, Darjeeling is often used in India because they are grown there. Typical brands used are Lipton Yellow Label, and Taj Mahal, and PG Tips. Some households will custom blend their own teas to create their own signature flavor. This can be a very personal thing.
- You can also use 1-2 black tea bags.
- Feel free to use decaf black tea.
What makes Masala Chai authentic, is the use of spices. One thing is for certain, every single person in India probably has their own unique combination of spices they prefer in their masala chai and there is no one right way. It is very subjective.
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Do You Add Milk To Pukka Vanilla Chai
Place 2 Pukka Original Chai tea bags in the water and brew the tea for 3 minutes. Let the tea boil for 3 minutes, then add a cup of organic milk or almond milk to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn off the heat, and taste with honey before serving the Indian classic with a nice taste of tea and hot spices.
How To Make A Chai Tea Latte
Thats it. Super easy, super quick, super good.
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How To Make A Chai Latte
I fell in love with the idea of chai through the cartons of this drink mix from the grocery store. The milky sweetness partnered with the astringent black tea drew me in, but the warm spices that lingered between sips kept me drinking. It wasnt long before the sweetness of those chai drink mixes became too much for me and I started experimenting with chai lattes at home.
This chai latte gives you complete control over your chai latte experience, from the tea and the spices, to the sweetener and type of milk. The result is a creamy cup of black tea subtly spiced and fragrant with cinnamon, black pepper, and ginger, and just the right amount of sweetness, so near perfect that youll skip the coffee shop chai and come home to make a pot of this at tea time.
Cutting Chai Recipe How To Make Cutting Chai
Cutting chai recipe with step by step photos. Cutting chai is a word which every person in Mumbai is well versed with. What is cutting chai? cutting chai is half a portion of chai/tea. Its served in special kind of glasses instead of cups. I have shared the pic of this glass in the pics below.
Chai is nostalgic as during my college days as well as office days, I would go out during the breaks to have some chai with snacks. Earlier with my college friends and then later with office colleagues, we used to visit the chai stall and have chai with some biscuits or khari biscuits. Sometimes we would have vada pav or bhajiya pav with chai. I also used to visit irani restaurants and have chai there with bun maska.
Having cutting chai is quite a regular affair in Mumbai. Plus they are not expensive too. You dont get to see cutting chai being served, anywhere else except on the streets of Mumbai. I was missing cutting chai so made this. Best part of making this tea at home is you could have the full glass instead of half glass
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Selecting Spices For Chai Latte
Spices are what make masala chai the drink we love. When it comes to which spices are essential, very few can agree and Id argue that that is a very good thing indeed. The spices you choose will make a chai perfectly suited to your tastes.
Sheela spent New Years Eve in India, drinking masala chai, and reported In India, masala chai is definitely not as heavily spiced as it is here. Id get one almost every day from the inns we were staying in or little cafes, and theyd often be spiced with just cardamom, just ginger, or maybe a little bit of both. It completely changed my opinion of masala chai for the better because I just loved that you could really taste the tea and the spice rather than all the dozens of spices thrown in overpowering everything.
These are the five spices that are essential to making a warming chai latte.
The bulk bin is your best friend for making chai lattes regularly at home, as you can easily find whole spices that are fresher and less expensive than those sitting on the shelf.
More of chai spices: The 5 Spices You Need for Homemade Chai
Sweetening Chai Lattes
I have a terrible sweet tooth, but find that a too-sweet chai latte masks the spices. You can use granulated sugar for sweetening, but I recommend brown sugar or even maple syrup, as their caramel notes accentuate chais spices rather than hide them. Add your sweetener to the warm tea base after steeping but before straining.