5 different ways of making a perfect cup of Chai!
Indian chai is a staple in the diet of most Indians all across the country. A cup of
steaming hot tea, usually served in small clay pots, known as kulhar in Hindi or bhar in Bengali. is a fan favorite in India. The tradition of drinking ‘chai’ tea in India transcends all boundaries with chai shopping dotting the roadsides. This tea is usually prepared with milk and spices along with sugar and you are bound to find people in groups sharing their evening tea accompanied with laughter, discussions and of course, biscuits. The main spices used often are ginger, cardamom and cloves and is commonly known as masala chai. Many Indians will tell you how ‘chai’ is an emotion and this shows how deeply ingrained tea is in the Indian culture. Today we will tell you the four best ways to make the perfect cup of chai!
Regular Indian chai
Regular Indian chai is extremely common and is the simplest one of them all. All you have to do is select a robust CTC tea as your base. This is important because a characteristic and integral part of Indian chai is milk and loose-leaf orthodox teas such as Darjeeling tea, are not meant to be had with milk because of their delicate nature and exquisite natural taste. A strong, full bodied CTC tea will ensure that the beautiful taste of tea shines through the milk. Sugar is also commonly added into Indian chai. The steps for making regular Indian chai is relatively easy.
Steps :- (for 1 cup)
- Bring 8oz water and 4oz whole milk to a simmer in a small saucepan on the stove.
- Reduce heat and add in one heaping tablespoon of black tea leaves
- Wait 5 minutes for tea to steep.
- Strain the beautiful tan colored liquid into a cup, this will hold back the tea leaves.
- Stir sugar into your chai and sweeten to taste.
Masala chai
Indians took the regular chai and gave it a spice filled twist of their own, like they
often do within the culinary world. Masala chai is quintessentially Indian and that
means it is bold, flavorful, warm and homely. The stand out characteristics of Masala chai are the various spices that go into the drink. The spice mix often consists of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, star anise and black peppercorns however, the most commonly used spices are cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. You can also order our pre-made Masala tea blend for an easy and delicious experience which delivers the authentic taste of Indian masala chai.
Steps :- (for 1 cup)
- Prepare the spice mix by crushing four cardamom pods, 4 cloves, one cinnamon stick and 1 teaspoon grated/finely chopped ginger.
- Bring 8oz water, 4oz whole milk and the spice mix to a simmer in a small saucepan on the stove.
- Reduce heat and add in one heaping tablespoon of black tea leaves (preferably Assam CTC tea because of its robust nature, strong flavor and full-bodied texture)
- Wait 5 minutes for tea to steep.
- Strain the beautiful tan colored liquid into a cup; this will hold back the tea leaves and the spices.
- Stir sugar into your chai and sweeten to taste.
Adrak chai
Adrak chai is simply another variation to the Indian masala chai. This tea is named after the one singular spice that goes into it and that is ginger. Ginger in Hindi is known as ‘adrak’ and hence this tea is aptly named, Adrak Chai. This is a brew with a strong ginger flavor and is commonly known to be the perfect cure for colds, nasal congestion and headaches.
Steps :- (for 1 cup)
- Prepare 1 teaspoon grated/finely chopped ginger.
- Bring 8oz water, 4oz whole milk and the ginger to a simmer in a small saucepan on the stove.
- Reduce heat and add in one heaping tablespoon of black tea leaves
- Wait 5 minutes for tea to steep.
- Strain the beautiful tan colored liquid into a cup; this will hold back the tea leaves and the bits of ginger.
- Stir sugar into your chai and sweeten to taste.
Masala chai ice tea
Masala chai ice tea is very simple to make when you prefer a cold beverage over a hot one. Masala chai iced tea is essentially made by brewing regular masala chai and then letting it cool and storing it in the refrigerator for 1 hour after and then serving it with ice and a sweetener. Refer to the masala chai recipe above! The main difference between ice tea and cold brew is that ice tea is made hot and left to cool, while cold brew is brewed cold.
Masala chai cold brew
Cold brew tea has become more and more popular over the years and this masala chai cold brew recipe is perfect when you crave the taste of Indian masala chai but also would love a cold and refreshing drink. Cold brew requires long steeping times, especially because the spices also need to infuse with the liquid. It is however, worth the wait! While brewing hot Indian chai, it is best to use whole milk, as mentioned in the recipe’s above but, for cold brew masala chai, we would recommend using 2% milk instead. This gives it a taste which works great with the cool temperature of the drink.
Steps :- (for 1 cup)
- Prepare the spice mix by crushing four cardamom pods, 4 cloves, one cinnamon stick and 1 teaspoon grated/finely chopped ginger.
- Place tea leaves or teabags in a tall glass
- Pour cold, filtered water 8oz and 2% milk 4oz
- Add in the spice mixture
- Set aside in the refrigerator for 8 hours (overnight works best)
- Prepare a sweetener by letting sugar and water coming to a boil together and making a sugar syrup (this makes sure the sweetener dissolves into the cold tea)
- Strain the tea, add the sugar syrup and serve!
Which recipe is your favorite?
Would you try any of these recipes?
Tell us in the comments below!
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