Masala Chai Recipe

By
Liz Clayton
Liz Clayton
Liz Clayton drinks, photographs and writes about coffee and tea all over the world, though she pretends to live in Brooklyn, New York. She is the associate editor for the coffee website, Sprudge, and the author of Where to Drink Coffee (2017), Nice Coffee Time (2013), and the New York Coffee Map 2015.
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Updated Aug. 30, 2018
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You can adjust this chai recipe to your own personal taste and preference. The ratio of milk to water (or indeed, choice to use cow's milk at all) is perhaps the biggest variable, followed by choice and amount of sweetener. Start with an easy recipe like this, and then adjust to emphasize the qualities you like best in your masala chai.

Recipe Details

Masala Chai Recipe

Active 5 mins
Total 10 mins
Serves 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons loose black tea, such as Assam

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 1 teaspoon freshly chopped or grated ginger

  • 8 whole cloves

  • 6 whole cardamom seed pods (give 'em a lil squeeze before adding to mixture)

  • Cinnamon stick and 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, optional

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons sweetener such as demerara sugar, to taste

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, bring the tea, water, milk ginger, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick and peppercorns (if using) to a boil. Quickly reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until flavor is your desired intensity. Add sweetener to taste. Strain the mixture into a cup and serve hot.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
213 Calories
8g Fat
28g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 213
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 11%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 24mg 8%
Sodium 120mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 298mg 23%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 429mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)