Chai or milk tea Recipe

Name: Chai or milk tea
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: about 2 cups
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 cups water; 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced; 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 2 cloves; 1 small cinnamon stick; 2 black peppercorns; 2 teaspoons loose black tea (or 2 tea bags); 1 cup whole milk; 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

Indian · Beverage · 15 min total

Chai or milk tea recipe videos

A fragrant, spiced Indian milk tea that's both comforting and invigorating, perfect for any time of day.

5
min prep

10
min cook

2
servings

120
kcal/serving

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 cloves
1 small cinnamon stick
2 black peppercorns
2 teaspoons loose black tea (or 2 tea bags)
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

Instructions

In a small saucepan, combine water, ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse flavors.
Add the tea leaves (or tea bags) and simmer for 2 more minutes.
Pour in the milk and sugar, and bring to a gentle boil. Watch closely to prevent boiling over.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chai is fragrant and well combined.
Strain the chai through a fine-mesh sieve into cups, pressing on the solids. Serve hot.

Tips

For a stronger tea flavor, steep the tea leaves for an extra minute before adding milk.
Adjust sweetness to your preference; jaggery or honey can be used instead of sugar.
To make it dairy-free, substitute with almond or oat milk, but note the flavor will differ.
Store leftover chai in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; reheat gently.

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