North India Highlights

Flying from Goa to Delhi this two-night, three-day tour includes a train journey to visit the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort plus a guided tour of the sites of India's historic capital city.

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How to make the perfect masala chai tea

Updated on Feb 27, 2019 by Alastair McClymont

Blog > How to make the perfect masala chai tea

Learn to recreate the wonderful flavours of Goa in your own kitchen by following these simple steps to making the perfect masala chai tea.

Filling millions of mugs, cups and glasses across India on a daily basis, masala chai is a sweetened and spiced black tea that, combined with milk, results in a warming and flavoursome hot drink that is a key feature of India's culinary scene and now popular across the globe.

During our many trips to Goa here at Goa Experience, we love nothing better than starting or ending the day with a dose of masala chai, so much so, we're always on the lookout for it across the countless coffee shops back here in the UK.

Image credit: Quinn Dombrowski | Flickr

If splashing out on a chai latte at Starbucks just doesn't quite cut it, you'll be pleased to know that after sourcing a few widely available ingredients, you can create this delicious treat in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Below is our ingredients list and guide to making the perfect masala chai tea:

Ingredients

- 10 green cardamom pods / 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 1/4 teaspoon of fennel seeds

- 4 white peppercorns

- 2 cups of whole milk

- 1.5 tablespoons of light brown sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

- 2 cups of water

- 5 teaspoons of black tea

Image credit: Popova Tetiana | Shutterstock

Instructions

- Using a pestle and mortar if you have one, or a coffee or spice grinder, grind together the peppercorns, fennel seeds, cardamom and cinnamon stick.

- Simmer the milk in a saucepan, before stirring or whisking in the brown sugar, your spice mixture and the ginger. You can add more spice if you're after extra flavour.

- Reduce the heat and gently stir the mix on occasion, leaving for a few minutes for the flavours to infuse.

- While your milk mixture is infusing, bring some water to the boil. Add your black tea to the water and boil for a further minute.

- Pour your resulting tea through a fine sieve into your hot milk mixture and finally cook over a low heat for about a minute, before giving it a good stir and serving.

Image credit: Philippe Teuwen / Flickr

Find out more about the food and drink of Goa via our dedicated guide page.

Posted in Alastair McClymont, Goan Cuisine | Tagged Food & drink

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Day 1: Departing Goa for Delhi our representative will meet you in the arrivals area of the airport. They will assist with your private transfer to your Delhi hotel which will be your base for two nights.

Day 2: This morning, you will depart Delhi railway staion to Agra. Once a small village on the banks of the Yamuna, it was transformed by two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and his grandson Shah Jehan into the second capital of the Mughal Empire, Dar-ul-Khilafat, or ‘seat of the Emperor’ in the 16th and 17th century.

When you arrive in Agra you will be met by our representative who will introduce you to your guide who will take you to Taj Mahal (closed on Fridays). On the inner walls, jewel-like stones create beautiful designs in white marble. The Mughals perfected the art of embedding semi-precious stones into marble and the Taj is the finest example of this special process called pietra dura. It begins with a marble plate, varying in size. Then jewels are sliced paper thin and embedded in the marble with such precision that the joints are invisible to the naked eye. Continue for a visit to the Agra Fort, a walled city constructed of red stone which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. Construction of the fort was originally started by Emperor Akbar in 1565, but his son, Jahangir, and grandson, Shah Jahan, later made valuable additions to it.

You will also visit Itmad ud Daula, also known as Baby Taj. This tomb was built in 1622 for Ghiyas Beg, father of Empress Noor-Jahan, the wife of Emperor Jahangir. It is beautifully conceived in white marble, mosaic and lattice and set a precedent as the first Mughal building to be faced with white marble inlaid with contrasting stones.

Later, you will be driven back to Agra Cantt railway station, where you will board your train back to Delhi.

Day 3: After breakfast, proceed for the orientation city tour of Old and New Delhi including a visit of the 17th-century Jama Masjid and enjoy a rickshaw ride through the narrow, winding lanes of colourful and bustling Chandni Chowk. Stop in front of the Mughal Empire’s most opulent fort, the Red Fort for a photo opportunity.

Later proceed to New Delhi where you will be taken for a drive past the Presidential Palace, the one-time imperial residence of the British viceroys, the India Gate, a memorial raised in honour of fallen Indian soldiers and a drive along the Rajpath past the Parliament House and secretarial buildings. You will also visit Qutab Minar, the 12th-century tower of victory built by a slave king and prototype of all minars (towers) in India.

After the tour you will be transferred to Delhi Airport to board your short flight back to Goa.

Two-night price from £825 per person

Prices are based on two people sharing including internal flights and two nights' accommodation on B&B and include transfers.
A choice of superior or deluxe accommodation is available.
You will be able to book this excursion either in the UK or on arrival / during your holiday to Goa.
Operates any day (subject to availability) except for Friday due to closure of the Taj Mahal.