This Chai tea recipe makes best masala chai in 15 minutes. Follow step-by-step instructions to make the best desi chai, a spiced Indian tea. Brew black tea leaves with milk and a blend of warming spices to create warming and soothing chai tea.
I cherish the aroma of spices wafting upward, the creamy texture of the tea, and the soothing heat it creates. It is a comforting ritual. Making authentic Indian spiced milk tea at home is easy and quick. I like to use my homemade Chai Masala when I brew a cup for myself. This caramel color tea is rich and flavorful with warm spice notes that positively awakens all your senses.
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Learn to DIY popular spiced chai tea lattes like Starbucks with this detail recipe. It is easy and inexpensive compared to buying Starbucks chai latte!
Recipe Inspiration
Growing up in India, my family made this rich tea drink every single day. My mom would brew it early in the morning for breakfast.
She also made it for afternoon and evening snack time. It is a drink of vitality and taste is invigorating.
I learned to make Indian tea in my mom's kitchen. I learned this recipe when I was a teenager. Both my parents appreciated and encouraged those early efforts; I have vivid memories of it !!
Chai Tea Ingredients
Detailed measurements, instructions, and notes are on the printable recipe card towards the end of the page. Here’s a recap with explanation:
Black Tea : you can use loose leaf tea, tea powder or tea bags. Assam tea is a stronger black tea variety whereas Darjeeling black tea is mellow in taste.
Sweetener: Traditionally, you brew the tea with sugar. You can also use raw sugar, Stevia, maple syrup, honey or jaggery. For the low sugar version, you can skip it altogether.
Milk : People typically use regular whole milk. You can also use almond milk, coconut milk or other plant milk to make it vegan. Whole milk will make tea richer while 0 % , 1% or 2% milk will make it lighter and low calorie.
Ginger : fresh ginger adds depth of flavor and a bit of spicy notes to the tea. You can use dry ginger powder but use only ¼ proportion.
Spices : I use fennel seeds, cinnamon stick and green cardamom to add delightful flavors. You can also add cloves and black pepper.
Popular Indian Tea
Chai tea also known as Masala Chai is an ubiquitous Indian drink. Every household makes their own version of milk tea. Roadside tea stalls and fancy Five Star restaurants across India serve masala chai.
What is Masala Chai
The word Masala in English means spices and chai means tea. So, the word Masala chai literally means Spiced Tea. In the United States, Starbucks popularized the traditional Indian milk tea by calling it Chai Tea Latte.
Since chai is tea, it is essentially tea-tea frothy milk beverage. It sounds funny that way..so let's call it Indian spiced tea latte.
How to make Chai tea
This traditional Indian beverage is made by brewing black tea with milk of your choice. You add some sweetener ( sugar ) and whole Indian spices, such as fresh ginger, cardamom, fennel seeds and cinnamon. It is served hot.
• Place a medium sauce pan on medium heat. Add water. Add fennel seeds, slightly crushed cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and sweetener of your choice.
• Bring to a boil. Add milk and let it come to gentle boil. Add black tea powder and freshly shredded ginger.
• Stir well and turn the heat off. (don’t continue to boil the tea, it may get bitter)
• Let it steep at least 5 minutes.
• Use a fine mesh strainer and strain into a glass or mug. Enjoy warm.
Pro Tips
- I add tea to the recipe very last and just bring it to gently boil. Do not over boil the mixture after you add tea. It makes unpleasant bitter tea full of tannins.
- Adding fresh ginger just before turning the heat off brings out intense flavor. Do not boil ginger in water from the beginning.
- You can use whole spices or powder mix. Whole spices taste fresh. If you are using premade chai spice mix, add a bit extra for intense flavors.
- Use as many or as little spices as you want. You just make it simple without any spice. ( plain black milk tea) just Ginger Tea ( Aadrak Chai) or just cardamom tea (Elaichi Chai)
- If you prefer, you can make a big batch of tea. Roughly keep the ingredients in same proportion.
- To avoid bitterness, add the tea leaves once the water starts boiling.
Serving Suggestions
Spiced Indian Tea can be served all by itself. I often have it with sweet tea biscuits like Parle G ( available in Indian Stores) or tea cookies ( Trader Joe’s ). For classic afternoon tea service, use English Tea Sandwiches.
Spiced Indian tea is usually served piping hot. You will be surprised to know that even in scorching summer heat, a lot of people drink hot tea. It's one way to beat the heat with heat.
You will also love our Classic Iced Tea Recipe which is served cold with lemon and fresh mint as a summer drink.
Indian black tea typically served in kettle goes well with most breakfast and snack foods. Pohe, Bread upma, Misal or Pav Bhaji are our family favorite leisurely weekend brunch recipes that taste amazing with a cup of soothing tea.
I love it with Chivada ( Puffed Rice Trail Mix) especially when friends drop by for afternoon tea meet or kitty.
You can also serve it with Roasted Masala Chickpeas , Masala Papad or Masala Boondi Chat.
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📖 Recipe
Chai Tea - Spiced Indian Tea- Masala Chai Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ cup water
- 3 teaspoon Black Tea Powder or use 3 black tea bags
- ½ cup milk use plant based if vegan
- ½ inch ginger root minced or shredded
Spices and Herbs ( Optional but highly recommended )
- ½ teaspooon fennel seeds
- 2 whole green cardamom
- 1 stick cinnamon stick
Optional
- 2 teaspoons sugar or sweetener of your choice
Instructions
How to Make Chai Tea - Spiced Indian Tea
- Place a sauce pan on medium heat. Add water. Add fennel seeds, slightly crushed cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and sweetener of your choice.
- Bring to a boil. Add milk and let it come to gental boil. Add black tea powder and freshly shredded ginger.
- Stir well and turn the heat off. (don’t continue to boil the tea, it may get bitter)
- Let it steep at least 5 minutes.
- Using a mesh strainer, strain into a glass or mug. Enjoy warm. Chai Cheers !
How To Make Instant Pot Chai Tea ?
- Add a cup of water in the main insert. Place all ingredients except milk in another smaller container that can fit inside the main insert.
- Place a trivet and put the tea mixture container over the trivet. Close the lid.
- Choose 3 minutes cooking time on high. After it's done cooking, let the pressure release naturally.
- After it is safe to open the lid, take the inner pot out. Strain the tea. Add in separately warmed milk. Mix well. Serve warm and enjoy !
Nutrition
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Frequently Asked Questions
No. Chai or Tea does have caffeine in it. It is about ⅓ of coffee. Typically a cup of brewed black tea has 40 mg of caffeine compared to 120 mg of caffeine in black coffee.
Masala Chai or Spiced Tea Latte is not hot spicy. It has blend of herbs with relatively strong flavors but it does not burn your palate type spicy. It is strong and flavorful.
Most people use a combination of different warming spices in the Masala Chai- Spiced Tea Latte. Fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger is what I love. You can also add black peppercorns, star anise or cloves.
Chai is generic Hindi name for black tea. Masala chai is black tea brewed with mulling spices.
Cutting chai is popular Indian street food. The roadside tea stalls ( also called Tapri or Thela ) sell half the size of regular tea servings at reduced price. Cutting chai typically served in small clear glasses. The serving size is just enough to refresh your urge to sip something warm and soothing.
Learn how to make Starbucks style Chai tea latte which tastes very similar to traditional Indian masala chai in less than 15 minutes using this recipe. It is made with a mixture of black tea, milk, fresh ginger, and a few dry mulling spices.
Kadak or Karak Chai is strongly brewed black tea with steamed milk. The loose tea leaves are boiled for a longer time so it becomes really strong in flavor. It often also has ginger and cardamom added to it.
You can make this recipe without adding any sugar. Fennel seeds and cinnamon have sweet flavor notes so it does add a tinge of sweetness.
This recipe was originally published on Feb. 5, 2021. It has been revised and republished on January 14, 2025.
Caden Mervil
That's good I'd love to do this tea ! I am so excited to make and enjoy it.
Linda Wettlaufer
What would be the ingredients of you want to make a large pot of tea do you can drink it over a few days?
admin
You can use the same ingredients. Just don't add milk if you plan to keep it for few days. Add warm milk just before drinking.