Masala chai
Spiced Milk Tea
Masala chai is tea simmered with milk, sugar and whole spices until strong and sweet. This version, from an Indian restaurant group, simmers the tea and spices in water first and then adds the milk and boils it for 10 minutes.
Masala chai and lassi are the popular traditional drinks of India.
One recipe simmers 2 tbsp of tea with ginger, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in 1 litre of water, then boils with 50 g of sugar and 500 ml of milk for 10 minutes. The other, for two, brews 3 tsp of tea with grated ginger and chai masala powder in 415 ml of water and boils with milk in about 10 minutes.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp loose Assam or Darjeeling tea (or 3 English breakfast tea bags)
- 12 slices of fresh root ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 12 cardamom pods
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 5 cloves
- 1 litre boiling water
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 500 ml whole milk
Method
- Simmer the spices Put the tea, ginger and spices in a saucepan with the boiling water, bring back to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until you can smell the spices.
- Add milk and sugar Stir in the sugar and milk and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring now and then. A skin will form; strain it out later. Taste and simmer longer for a stronger flavour.
- Strain and serve Strain out the solids and serve at once.
Watch the pan when the milk goes in; it boils over quickly.
Adjust the sugar.