Indian Chai tea
The old phrase 'a cup of char' stems from the Asian word for tea, chai or cha. Travelling in India, you hear the singsong call 'chaichaichai' on a loop on the trains, where it is served in small hand-made clay cups. The tracks are littered with shattered clay from disposed cups. Indian chai is always sweet and milky.
Course: Drink
Cuisine: Indian, Kashmiri, Pakistani
Keyword: Chai, English afternoon tea, Karak Chai, Masala Chai
- 500 ml boiling water
- 1 tbsp loose black tea leaves
- 75ml condensed milk
- 1-2 tbsp palm sugar/jaggery
For the Chai masala spice mix
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 green cardamom pods, split
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 tbsp ground nutmeg
First, put together your chai masala mix.
Add the boiling water to a pot, along with the tea and the chai masala mix.
Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, then scoop out the tea unless you like it very strong.
Add the condensed milk and the palm sugar or jaggery, to taste.