Masala Chai

It's almost Christmas. In these wintery days, a cup of spicy Masala Chai really amps up the season feeling - particularly if you are nursing a cold, like me. In our family, we like making our own Chai after meals, although we are not averse to picking up a "Chai Tea Latte" at the Starbucks drive-thru either!

Like pot roast, your favorite Chai is the one you are familiar with. There is no set recipe for Masala Chai. Some people like to add peppercorns. Some don't. Some like fresh ginger. Some don't. I use both of these occasionally, depending on whether I have peppercorns and fresh ginger on hand and how industrious I feel. I've also seen recipes that include star anise, allspice, rosebuds etc. Different regions of India also emphasize different spices. Most people agree that the strong note in Chai is cardamom, which I love. My friend, Maala, her family likes adding a lot of fennel to aid digestion after a meal - so I've adopted that in my basic recipe.

Tea. Any strong black tea works. I use Assam.

As for milk, most people use whole milk for its richness. For healthful reasons, I add 2% milk, which takes away from the fullness of my Chai but it is what I prefer. I know my mom likes using condensed milk as both a milk and sweetener, as many Singaporeans do. Again, it's up to you to find your version.

Sugar. A decent amount of sugar is important to bring out the flavor of the spices. For someone who drinks her coffee black with no milk or sugar and avoids sodas, this is a lot of sugar for me. There is a reason why I've added this recipe under "Sweets". But it's no more sugar than what you would find in a dessert. Sugar is an integral part of Chai. So don't flinch!

Ratios. When I was in working in South India, the family that I lived with did a ratio of 2 parts milk to one part water. So that's what I do too.

As for the brewing process, again, there are many variations. You can boil the whole lot together all at once. I prefer adding the milk at the end, just because that's how I make English tea as well. The only difference between brewing Chai and other teas is that, in making Chai, the tea leaves are not steeped in hot water; instead, the water is kept on a constant simmer.

I would encourage you to experiment and find your favorite Masala Chai recipe. But to start you off, I'm going to share my basic go-to recipe. I may add other spices at times, but these are the ones I always use.*

Here's wishing you a happy Chai adventure!

Masala Chai

15 cardamom seeds
5 cloves
1 cinnamon stick (about 1.5-2 inches)
1 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tsp Assam tea leaves
1 cup water
2 cups milk
3 lumps of brown sugar (or white if you prefer) to 1 cup of liquid

*****

Grind the spices together. In a saucepan, add the water and all the spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tea leaves and simmer for a further 2 minutes (you don't want to simmer for too long because the tea leaves will release their tannins and give off a bitter taste).

Add milk and bring to a boil again as quickly as possible. Turn off heat. Add sugar and stir.

To serve, use a small scoop and a small sieve to strain the tea into individual cups. If serving a large group, strain into a big teapot before serving.