Indian Spiced Tea
– Masala Chai
“Chai,” as many Americans call it, is correctly “Masala Chai,” meaning “spiced tea.” “Chai” alone simply means “tea” in the Indian subcontinent. It’s composed of black tea brewed with milk, sugar, and fresh and dried spices. A classic street vendor drink, it was once sold in throwaway thin-sided clay cups. It is now often served in small glasses or brass cups.
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Masala Chai with its spices |
This is not my recipe. Rather it is basically the recipe of
my sister in law, Karin Downs, who spent a college semester in India and later
spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, where Masala Chai is also
common. This is the way my wife Christina makes the drink at home, where the
grandkids enjoy it. It’s also the way we make it at the family-run restaurant,
Donderos’ Kitchen, in Athens, Georgia.
In India the drink can be quite sweet. We make it less sweet,
but the sugar can be increased if preferred.
The recipe makes over
6 cups, or about 8-10 servings. Leftover Masala Chai is nice cold too.
4 cups water
5 (1/8-inch) slices fresh ginger, not peeled
2 (3-inch) sticks whole cinnamon
8 whole green cardamoms
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
3 tea bags (or 2 tablespoons loose) black Indian-type tea
3 cups whole milk
2-3 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
In a cooking pot, simmer together the water, fresh ginger,
and all the dry whole spices for 20 minutes. Add the tea bags or loose tea, and
simmer 5 minutes. Add milk and sugar and bring it to just heated but not
boiling (it could foam over if it boils).
Pour through a strainer into a tea pot, from which to serve
the tea. Serve in cups or small glasses.