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.