Masala Chai

Quick answer

Total time: 23 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 3 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Masala chai is an Indian spiced milk tea made by simmering crushed ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom in water until the spices release their oils fully, then adding black tea leaves and whole milk and continuing to heat gently over low flame.

The spices build aromatic depth that wraps around the tea's tannins, transforming them into warm, rounded complexity rather than raw astringency. Stirring in sugar during the final minutes of simmering softens the spice's sharpness and allows the milk's creaminess to come forward. Using whole spices rather than ground powders keeps the brew free of gritty residue and produces a cleaner, more transparent aroma in each cup.

Ingredients (3 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
black tea leaves	10	g
water	400	ml
milk	300	ml
ginger	12	g
cinnamon	0.5	tsp
cardamom	0.25	tsp
sugar	1	tbsp

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Heat

Wash 12g of fresh ginger and crush it lightly using the back of a knife or a mortar to release the potent aromatic oils and spicy essence before starting the boiling.
2

Control

Combine 400ml of water with the crushed ginger, 0.5 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 0.25 teaspoons of cardamom in a pot, bringing to a boil and simmering on medium for 5 minutes.
3

Step

Add 10g of black tea leaves to the spice infusion and steep for 3 minutes until the water turns dark brown, extracting the full body of the tea without excess bitterness.
4

Control

Pour in 300ml of milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar, then simmer on low heat for 4 minutes while stirring constantly to prevent the milk from boiling over or forming skin.
5

Season

Once the chai reaches a deep milk tea color and the spices are concentrated, stir lightly to ensure the sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and let it rest.
6

Finish

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the tea leaves and spices, then pour into warmed mugs and serve while the exotic and comforting aroma is at peak.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Simmering crushed ginger and cardamom first extracts the essential oils for Masala chai.
Finish cue: Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the tea leaves and spices, then pour into warmed mugs and serve while the exotic and comforting aroma is at peak.