Masala chai, the spiced milk tea of India, made on the stove

Masala chai is black tea, milk, sugar and whole spices boiled together in one small pan, then strained into cups. It is strong, sweet, creamy and warming, and the stove method takes about ten minutes. There is no concentrate, no syrup and no powder: just a saucepan and a strainer.

In India chai simply means tea, and most of it is drunk with milk and sugar. Masala means a mix of spices. Every household and every roadside chaiwala has its own blend, so treat the spices below as a starting point rather than a rule. Ginger and cardamom are the most common pair; cinnamon, cloves and black pepper come and go with the season and the cook.

How to make it

1. Put the water, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Let it bubble for 2 minutes so the spices colour the water.
2. Add the tea and boil for 1 minute more, until the liquid is a deep red-brown.
3. Pour in the milk and the sugar and bring back to a rolling boil. Watch it closely: milk rises fast.
4. As the chai climbs the pan, lower the heat until it settles, then let it rise again. Do this two or three times; it thickens the chai and pulls more flavour from the tea.
5. Strain through a fine tea strainer into cups and serve hot.

Tips for the best flavour

• Use a strong, small-leaf tea. Assam or a CTC tea (the small rolled granules sold in Indian grocers) stands up to milk and spice. A delicate tea such as Darjeeling or green tea gets lost.
• Boil the spices before the tea. Spices need longer than tea leaves. Adding everything at once gives either weak spice or bitter tea.
• Crush, do not grind. Press the cardamom pods with the flat of a knife so they just split. Whole spices strain out cleanly; ground ones leave grit.
• Fresh ginger matters. It gives chai its heat. Grated ginger is stronger than sliced, so start with less if you grate it.
• Do not skip the rise. The boiling and settling in step 4 is what makes chai taste like chai rather than tea with milk.
• Sugar is traditional. A little sweetness rounds out the tannin and spice. Cut it back gradually if you usually drink tea without sugar.

Water, milk and tea ratios

The balance between water and milk changes the body of the cup more than anything else. This is a rough guide for two cups.

The more milk you use, the more tea you need for the flavour to come through.

Variations

• Ginger chai (adrak chai): leave out everything but the ginger and double it. Common on cold mornings.
• Cardamom chai (elaichi chai): cardamom only, four to six pods. Softer and more floral.
• With black pepper or fennel: add a few peppercorns or half a teaspoon of fennel seeds with the other spices.
• Plant milk: oat milk and soy milk both work, but add them for the last minute only, as some brands split if boiled hard. Our guide to oat, almond, soy and other plant milks has more on which ones behave best when hot.
• Caffeine-free evening cup: drop the tea and simmer the spices in milk. With a spoon of turmeric it is close to our golden milk.

Make ahead and storage

Chai is best fresh, because the milk skin and the tea's bitterness both build as it sits. If you make a large batch, strain it straight away and keep it in a closed jar in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat it gently in a pan until it steams, without boiling it again.

You can also make a spice base in advance: boil the spices in water for five minutes, strain, and keep the liquid in the fridge for three or four days. Then you only need to add tea and milk.

Questions people ask

How much caffeine is in masala chai?

Less than a mug of coffee for most people. A cup made with about a teaspoon of black tea usually has somewhere between a third and a half of the caffeine of a similar-sized filter coffee, though it varies with the tea and how long it boils. Our matcha vs coffee comparison sets out typical caffeine figures for different drinks.

Can I use tea bags?

Yes. Two ordinary black tea bags replace two teaspoons of loose tea. Cut one open and add the leaves directly if you want a stronger cup; strain as usual.

Is chai the same as a chai latte?

Not quite. A café chai latte is usually made from a sweet syrup or powder mixed with steamed milk. Stove-top masala chai is brewed from whole tea and spices, is less sweet and has more tea flavour.

A cup of chai with a slow breakfast fits neatly into our simple morning routine.

Photograph: AI-generated image

Filed under chai, black tea, spices, ginger, cardamom.