Masala Chai
The roadside-stall chai of North India — black tea boiled twice with milk, fresh ginger, and a hand-cracked mix of cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and black pepper, sweetened until it lacquers the spoon.
Ingredients
- water500 ml
- whole milk500 ml
- strong black tea (Assam CTC)4 tsp
- fresh ginger3 cm piece, smashed
- green cardamom pods5, cracked
- cinnamon stick1, 4 cm
- cloves3
- black peppercorns4
- sugar4 tsp, or to taste
Steps
Crack the spices.
Crack the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns in a mortar — just enough to bruise them and release the oils.
Boil water with spices and ginger.
Bring the water to a boil with the cracked spices and the smashed ginger, then let it bubble hard to extract everything.
Add tea leaves and boil.
Add the tea leaves and continue boiling until the water turns deep mahogany.
Add milk and sugar, then heat.
Pour in the milk and the sugar, raise the heat, and watch closely — bring it to the edge of boiling over, then pull off the flame.
Bring to a second boil and strain.
Return to medium heat for a second rise, repeat the lift, then strain through a fine sieve into warm cups.
Nutrition, per serving. 70 calories. Protein 2.7 grams, 14 percent. Carbs 9.5 grams, 51 percent. Fat 2.9 grams, 35 percent. Fiber 0.5 grams, sugar 8 grams, saturated fat 1.8 grams, sodium 35 milligrams. Estimated from ingredients.
