Masala Chai

Method

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   About Masala Chai: Masala chai is spiced milk tea and is the national drink of India. Every household and tea stall has their own spice blend. Once you master the basics you can adjust spices to your own preference.

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   Prepare the spices: The spice blend (masala) can be freshly made or prepared in advance. Crush or coarsely pound these spices using a mortar and pestle: 4 green cardamom pods (crack them open), 1 small cinnamon stick broken into pieces, 4 cloves, half inch fresh ginger (grated or crushed) and 4 black peppercorns. Fresh ginger is essential — dried ginger powder is not the same.

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   Boil water with spices: Pour 1.5 cups water into a small saucepan. Add all the crushed spices. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Once boiling reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes. The water will turn slightly golden and smell amazing. This infusion extracts the flavour from the hard spices before the milk is added.

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   Add tea leaves: Add 2 heaped tsp of strong black tea leaves (Assam or Darjeeling tea works best — use loose leaf tea rather than teabags for stronger flavour). Stir and let it brew for 1 minute. The water will turn very dark.

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   Add milk: Pour in 1.5 cups full-fat whole milk. Whole milk makes chai creamier and richer than low-fat milk.

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   Bring to a full boil: Increase heat to medium-high and bring the chai to a full rolling boil while stirring. Watch it carefully — it will rise rapidly and can overflow. As soon as it boils up reduce heat to prevent boiling over.

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   The double boil technique: For strong, rich chai let it come to a full boil, then reduce heat, then bring to boil again. This double boiling draws out maximum flavour from the tea and spices and creates a thick, creamy texture.

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   Add sugar: Add sugar to taste — typically 1-2 tsp per cup. Stir until dissolved. Some prefer to add sugar at the beginning with the water.

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   Strain and pour: Place a fine mesh tea strainer over a cup and pour the chai through it to catch the spices and tea leaves. Pour from a height of 30cm — this aerates the chai and creates a light froth on top.

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    Serve: Masala chai is best served piping hot in small cups or traditional clay kullad cups. Serve with biscuits, samosa or any Indian snack. The chai should be golden brown, sweet, spicy and deeply comforting.