Every Indian family has their own way of making chai. This is my family’s quick and easy chai recipe. This is the real deal – an authentic cup of chai is so easy to make!
I took my mom to Starbucks for chai once… it didn’t go well. We spent the morning shopping, and by the afternoon, she was craving chai. We had two choices: go home so my mom could make her own chai OR convince mom to go to Starbucks so we could keep shopping. I (wrongly) chose the second option. We stood in a long line, and I ordered my mom a “chai tea” with milk. After taking literally one sip, my mom handed me the tea and said she couldn’t drink it.
This was many years ago, so hopefully their recipe has improved, but I wouldn’t know. I’m pretty sure it’s still nothing like a homemade cup of chai though.
So forget about ordering a chai tea or chai latte at Starbucks. It will never taste as good as what you can make in your kitchen in just a matter of minutes. To make authentic masala chai, all you need is some black tea, a few spices, and your milk choice.
I grew up watching my parents drink chai two times a day – morning and afternoon. I’m Punjabi, so we actually call it “cha” and not chai, but same difference. Both words mean tea. Whenever we visit India, it seems like people are always drinking cha. It’s so good.
Regular chai is so easy to make. After making it just once, you’ll probably wonder why you ever spent $5 on a chai latte.
There are a few spices that you’ll need for masala chai: cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds, cinnamon (optional), and sometimes I’ll add fresh ginger too. Add these spices along with water to a teapot. Bring the water to a low boil, and then add the black tea. When the color of the water changes to a nice deep brown, add your milk. Bring everything to a boil and then turn off the heat, put the cover back on the teapot, and then strain the chai and serve. Make sure you carefully watch your pot while boiling the tea to make sure the milk doesn’t boil over.
Personally, I like my chai strong with a spicy ginger flavor. Ginger can act as an anti-inflammatory, and while that’s a bonus, I love the flavor.
I use black tea bags for the recipe below, but you can certainly use loose black tea if you’d like. Most people probably have easier access to the bags, which is why I’m using them here.
As for the milk, you can use whatever you like! I prefer whole milk because it makes the chai perfectly creamy, but non-dairy milk is just fine too. When it comes to non-dairy milk, oat milk is my preference, but almond milk or cashew milk works too.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup whole milk adjust to desired creaminess preference
- 2 green cardamom pods crushed
- 2 whole cloves
- Pinch of fennel seeds
- knob of sliced fresh ginger optional
- ¼ inch cinnamon stick optional
- 2 good quality black tea bags or loose tea equivalent
- Sweetener of your choice I prefer sugar in chai
Instructions
- Pour the water into a teapot or small pot and add the spices. Bring the water to a low boil.
- Add the tea to the pot and cover the pot for 2 minutes.
- Remove the cover and once the color of the water changes to your liking, add the milk.
- Bring everything to a full boil, then turn off the heat (be sure to carefully watch the pot so the tea doesn’t boil over!).
- Put your cover back on the pot, strain your chai and serve.
- Add sweetener to taste (I prefer using regular sugar when enjoying chai)
Notes
- If you’re using non-dairy milk such as almond milk, I like using 1 cup of water and 1 cup of almond milk. You can adjust this according to your taste and to how creamy you prefer your chai.
Ann says
Hello,
My family is also originally from Punjab and we call it ‘cha’ as well. I could never make it ‘right’ according to my mom…and like you, I’m finding myself drawn back to the tastes of my youth (though I still won’t try karela again). I have the same question as one of your other posters – when I add tea leaves and put the cover on the pot, do I leave the pot off the stove for the 2 minutes so the tea can ‘steep’ before returning it to the stove for the boil? Also, can you please post a video…so much of making cha is about technique and I’m sure I don’t get it right. Finally, can you tell me if it is beneficial to do a double boil or a ‘pull’ with the tea during the cooking process as I’ve read elsewhere? Thank you (I’m determined to get my cha tasting like the kind from the chaiwallas in India!)
Nabila Kane says
Masala chai was so easy & so good. Never thought of making it with tea bags but tastes just as good as with loose tea. Really love all your recipes. Thanks
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you, Nabila!
Emily says
Do you take the tea bags out after the first boil? Thanks and best wishes!
Paul Bhutani says
I made this masala chai and love it.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Happy to hear that! 🙂
Aman says
I’ve been making cha for as long as I can remember and absolutely can’t start my day without a nice warm cup of it. Recently I’ve (unfortunately) decided to change up my diet and cut out dairy. Ive attempted to make cha with almond milk in the past and and found it went horribly wrong and tasted awful. Im wondering if it’s because I didn’t change up the regular order you use when making cha or if it’s the choice of almond milk (not holding up the same as milk?). I’m curious to know if you know a way around this or possibly a better suited milk alternative?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Aman, have you tried oat milk? I think that’s a good sub for regular milk – nothing is the same but I think oat milk is better than almond.
Betsy says
My husband just said that this was the most AMAZING cup of tea he has ever had!!!!! And he is from INDIA and a total chai snob!!!!
Thank you!!
1 million stars!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Betsy, that’s awesome! So nice to hear, thank you for sharing 🙂
Oriane says
Hello from France 🙂 Just to make sure I get the recipe right, after I add the tea, do I simmer it for the 2 minutes or should I turn the heat off? I know to make Japanese milk tea the tea leaves have to simmer for about 2 minutes, so it makes me wonder if that’s also the case for masala chai! Also, after the full mixture has boiled, do we put the cover back to let it sit for a little while, or is it just for straining? Thanks a lot!
By the way, your “everyday dal” is always a hit here! Too bad my husband won’t enjoy masala chai with me when I make it – he hates spiced beverages, but hey I’ll just have more for myself 😀
Safa says
Excellent chai! Thank you. Another home run Ashley. We loved it.
I just used 1 tsp of tea per cup, rather than the tea bags.
My Heart Beets says
Safa, so glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how the chai turned out for you!
Lynn Anderson says
This recipe is so good. I’ve been drinking it everyday now for almost a week. Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Lynn, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you like the chai!
Mrs. Munshi says
Which brand of almond milk are you using? Whenever I try to make chai with almond milk instead of milk, I end up with separation and it doesn’t taste right 🙁
My Heart Beets says
Hi! I’ve tried several brands but the one I buy most often is “New Barn” at whole foods
JS says
Does this taste similar to cow’s milk? Been experimenting with non-dairy milk. So far, I can taste the milk even in masala chai.
Rachel says
I was trying to find a good recipe that uses almond milk over dairy milk, and I wanted an Indian person’s recipe since my mom and I haven’t perfected it yet. 🙂 I enjoyed it, but I do think I needed more sugar than I would put if it was dairy milk. Do you have this issue?
Gary says
Your recipes are amazing, Ashley! As a Punjabi (Canadian) person, I am so into your recipes. For this masala cha (!), if I wanted to make more of it, do you think doubling all the ingredients is a good way to go? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Gary!! And yes you can definitely double the recipe 🙂
Sonia says
I love chai, so decided to try this tea, and I loved it! Thanks I am also exited to try some of your other Indian paleo recipes ☺
My Heart Beets says
Sonia, awesome!! Glad you loved it! 🙂
Debbie says
Do you use green or black cardamom pods?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Debbie – definitely the green cardamom pods. I have a link to the brand that I use – you can find it by clicking on the ingredients. Enjoy!
Heidi @ Barefoot and Paleo says
I just made this with coconut milk. Awesome! I love chai tea.
Karen says
Thanks for this recipe. I’m not a fan of almond milk and wondering what you think about substituting hemp milk? Also, I see Cardamom pods in a lot of your recipes but when I shop the spice section I can ol find the ground. Should I be looking somewere else for the pods?
JS says
Just tried it with homemade hemp milk. It was good, but I could definitely taste the hemp.
Heidi F. says
Hi Ashley!
Wondering how much ground cardamom you would use?
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Heidi – you can just add a pinch 🙂
lauren says
This sounds delicious! Wondering why you recommend skim milk for non-paleo people?! What about all those gorgeous fats in raw whole milk? And skim milk has added milk powder to it to make it thicker…as well as homogenized– both possibly connected to heart disease. I might consider recommending that to your viewers :o) That’s my too sense if you are interested!! Beautiful blog by the way!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Lauren – thanks for the comment! I don’t recommend skim (or whole) to anyone – I just wanted to let people know the different ratios because otherwise I’m sure they’d ask in the comments. Sorry if I came off as promoting either! I agree with you about raw milk – I can’t drink it because my body doesn’t do well with dairy (it’s actually also illegal in WV). Truthfully though, I have been thinking of getting some raw milk from PA to see if it’s really the milk that gives me trouble or the added chemicals in it. Thanks for the food for thought 🙂
Raven says
I loved this Chai Masala recipe, and I have included it on my website’s facebook page as a recommendation! It works perfect for my Spice Series, which focuses on the medicinal and culinary benefits of some of these spices for our diet. Thanks for the recipe!
Jen says
How long will this last if I make a big batch of it?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Jen! Like coffee, this hot chai is best served immediately after making it. We are so used to making this that it doesn’t seem like much to make it daily. I’m honestly not sure how long it’ll last if you make a big batch and keep it in the fridge. If you try this, please report back!
gretchen williams says
Your recipe is also at: http://stalkerville.net/recipe/masala-chai-2/
gretchen williams says
Found this recipe at pinterest. Here is the link where it was originally posted: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/156429787030357229/
Thank you for sharing something from your family, I will be happy to enjoy your familiar flavors.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Gretchen! Thank you for letting me know 🙂 And, I hope you enjoy this chai.
Penny says
What is the nutritional info for a serving? Can you refrigerate it?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Penny, the nutritional info will depend on what type of dairy and sweetener you decide to use. The fat/calories will only come from the milk and sweetener. As for refrigeration, you can certainly do this, however, most Indian families serve this hot chai immediately after making it. I think a fresh cup will always taste better 🙂 If you’re looking to make a single serving, just halve the recipe – that’s what I do!
Janet Harrison says
I love this tea!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad! I love it too 🙂