Authentic Indian Chai

How to Make Chai Tea

How To Make Chai Tea… the authentic kind.

Chai is the lifeblood of India. Served in scant shot glasses from dawn until way past dusk, this beverage is EVERYWHERE you look. It’s in little make-shift cafes, sold from chai-wallahs at every bus station, train station and street corner, brewing in every home.

It’s been fifteen years sense I last visited India. Yet I’ll never forget sitting in open-air chai shops drinking creamy, ultra-sweet chai with friends.

True Indian chai is a far cry from the watered-down American coffeehouse version. Authentic chai is made with thick buffalo milk, considerably too much sugar, black tea, and cardamom pods–-if you’re lucky.

Indian Chai

The last summer I spent in India, a friend who spoke English well, nicknamed the cardamom pod the VIP nut. She explained that cardamom pods went in the chai cups of those they considered special. If they didn’t care for the person, and were just serving them chai to be polite, no cardamom! We sipped chai multiple times a day, every day. Everywhere we went, new friends would offer it with bright smiles.

I miss those chai over-dosed summers.

How To Make Chai Tea… the authentic kind.

Press the cardamom pods until they crack. Bring the water, tea, star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom to a boil.

Boil for 3-5 minutes until the tea is very dark and has reduced to about 2 cups. Strain and add the sugar. Add the milk and stir until hot.


Place the (used) cardamom pods in the bottom of the cups for good friends!
Makes 4 American-sized servings or 12+ Indian-sized servings.

Authentic Chai
Pin It

Print
Print
Save
Save

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 5 minutes

How To Make Chai Tea

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups water
1 whole star anise
1 stick cinnamon
4 cardamom pods, cracked
4-5 black tea bags, or ¼ cup loose black tea
2 cups whole milk or half-n-half
¼ cup sugar

Directions:

Press the cardamom pods until they crack. Bring the water, tea, star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom to a boil.

Boil for 3-5 minutes until the tea is black and has reduced to about 2 cups. Strain and add the sugar. Add the milk and stir until hot.

Place the used cardamom pods in the bottom of the cups for good friends.

Makes 4 American-sized servings or 12+ Indian-sized servings.

Share This Post

Related Posts

49 Responses to “Authentic Indian Chai”

  1. #
    1
    Belinda @zomppa — March 2, 2012 @ 5:36 am

    Hmm. The proper chai has the perfect blend…..

    Reply

  2. #
    2
    Drink Me Chai — March 2, 2012 @ 6:50 am

    Thank you for spreading the chai love!

    Our founder, Amanda Hamilton, fell in love with chai when she visited Indian, and she has now developed Drink Me Chai to be the U.K.’s No. 1 chai latte.

    Our chai is a powder that you add hot water to to make an instant and authentic chai. Simples!

    Reply

  3. #
    3
    Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar — March 2, 2012 @ 7:59 am

    Chai latte’s are my favorite! This recipe is lovely. Great idea!

    Reply

  4. #
    4
    chinmayie @ love food eat — March 2, 2012 @ 8:17 am

    I love chai. I used to drink quite a few of them every day but now it’s come down to just one mug a day :)

    Reply

  5. #
    5
    Gina @ Running to the Kitchen — March 2, 2012 @ 8:59 am

    My father grew up in Calcutta, India until he was 18. He’s been in the states since but still always talks about the “street food.” Chai actually just came up last weekend when he was over for dinner when I asked what kind of tea he wanted with dessert and he gave me a long tirade about how these bags of chai are BS compared to what they were in India. haha Now I know what the difference is :)

    Reply

    • Cate — November 28th, 2012 @ 11:07 pm

      Your father is quite right – I haven’t had a decent chai since 1980 (out of a little clay cup at the railway station).
      Australians don’t have a clue about a decent cup of chai ;)

      Reply

  6. #
    6
    Grubarazzi (@Grubarazzi) — March 2, 2012 @ 9:00 am

    My goodness. This looks absolutely delicious. What a great post and beautiful pictures!

    Reply

  7. #
    7
    5 Star Foodie — March 2, 2012 @ 9:31 am

    Would be so warming and delicious, gorgeous pictures!

    Reply

  8. #
    8
    Cookin' Canuck — March 2, 2012 @ 10:11 am

    Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous photos, Sommer! I have made authentic chai a couple of times and there really is no comparison to the “fake” stuff.

    Reply

  9. #
    9
    Brian @ A Thought For Food — March 2, 2012 @ 10:30 am

    This is so wonderful and useful! I never knew how to make chai!

    Reply

  10. #
    10
    Ambika — March 2, 2012 @ 11:39 am

    I Love chai! Beautiful photos, love those glass mugs!

    Reply

  11. #
    11
    naomi — March 2, 2012 @ 12:11 pm

    proper, authentic chai recipe – I will definitely be making this! Gorgoeous phots too.

    Reply

  12. #
    12
    Kankana — March 2, 2012 @ 12:26 pm

    I like your version! Nothing charges me better than a nice masala chai :)

    Reply

  13. #
    13
    Kiri W. — March 2, 2012 @ 12:56 pm

    Mmmm, that looks amazing! My wife loves chai, I’ll be sure to share this with her :)

    Reply

  14. #
    14
    Deanna — March 2, 2012 @ 1:15 pm

    I love chai. I always order it when I go to Indian restaurants because theirs tastes so much better. Now I know why!

    Reply

  15. #
    15
    Ama — March 2, 2012 @ 1:18 pm

    One of my daughter’s friends had her over for a playdate when she was in preschool. Her Mom, from India, made me the most incredible cup of Chai I have ever tasted. I still long for a cup of it. Now I may be able to make it myself. Thanks!

    Reply

  16. #
    16
    Cassie — March 2, 2012 @ 1:38 pm

    Loving this, Sommer! I guess I have probably never had authentic chai but I’m definitely trying this!!

    Reply

  17. #
    17
    Amber — March 2, 2012 @ 1:41 pm

    Oooh this looks amazing. I love chai tea but the thought of making a true authentic chai is awesome and I need to try this!

    Reply

  18. #
    18
    Barbara | Creative Culinary — March 2, 2012 @ 1:50 pm

    Gorgeous photos and maybe an inspiration for me to try making chai tea. My daughter loves it and will sometimes bring some with her from Starbucks and I’ve not been a fan but then she makes it so sweet I would not be a fan if it were coffee!

    We’re a bit later getting started than originally planned but I and two cohorts are doing an #IndianFoodPalooza starting Monday…please come and link up this beverage on my site then; it would be a fabulous addition. They are the experts but I’m excited about seeing everyone’s Indian dishes and trying out many things new to me.

    Reply

  19. #
    19
    Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers — March 2, 2012 @ 1:55 pm

    Sounds great, I need to try cardamom. Can you believe I never had it? Not even sure what it tastes like. Love the recipe and your photo’s are gorgeous!

    Reply

  20. #
    20
    Cécy — March 2, 2012 @ 2:33 pm

    This is now in my to do list. I love Oregon Chai Tea (hopefully I’m not offending any Indians). I love love cardamom, so I will have to try this.

    Reply

  21. #
    21
    Jen at The Three Little Piglets — March 2, 2012 @ 4:05 pm

    That is such a sweet tradition! And I just bought those same exact napkins from Pier 1! Love them…

    Reply

    • Sommer — March 3rd, 2012 @ 9:00 am

      Ha! Um… I just have ONE of a lot of napkins for photos. But I especially love this one. :)

      Reply

  22. #
    22
    Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking — March 2, 2012 @ 4:09 pm

    What a lovely chai tea. I can so see myself enjoying a cup of this with some biscotti. Thanks for sharing, Sommer. This is an interesting and informative post!

    Reply

  23. #
    23
    Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. — March 2, 2012 @ 4:56 pm

    I love anything chai. Hope you’re well!

    Reply

  24. #
    24
    Radhika > Just Home Made — March 2, 2012 @ 5:02 pm

    Sommer, Loved reading your rendition of over doses of Indian chai..
    Chai is part and parcel of the basics of hospitality in India. When someone comes home, chai is always a saving grace when you have nothing else to offer in a jiffy..
    VIP nut! Hah… so very true.. brought a familiar smile to my face :)
    Ginger (fresh or dry) is a more common additive..

    Reply

  25. #
    25
    Priya Sreeram — March 2, 2012 @ 6:13 pm

    ginger& cardamom is something that is very common in Indian chai -loved this spicy version too ! nice post sommer

    Reply

  26. #
    26
    Bonnie Banters — March 2, 2012 @ 7:27 pm

    Wonderful! Sounds so comforting…thanks!

    Reply

  27. #
    27
    Diane {Created by Diane} — March 2, 2012 @ 10:48 pm

    I’m so thirsty!!! You certainly made this look WONDERFUL!

    Reply

  28. #
    28
    Kim Bee — March 3, 2012 @ 12:55 am

    This looks so inviting. With all the blustering going on outside my window I would really go for one of these to warm up. Looks fantastic.

    Reply

  29. #
    29
    Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen — March 3, 2012 @ 3:17 am

    How funny about the “vip” bit, I guess it’s really a special spice!

    Reply

  30. #
    30
    Laura (Tutti Dolci) — March 3, 2012 @ 10:40 am

    I love chai and your recipe sounds fantastic!

    Reply

  31. #
    31
    Aparna B. @ Not A Leaf — March 3, 2012 @ 5:15 pm

    Definitely an interesting take on it! Your recipe is very similar to my mom’s except she doesn’t use the star anise. But there are so many varieties of chai! Thx for sharing :)

    Reply

  32. #
    32
    Alaiyo Kiasi — March 3, 2012 @ 6:01 pm

    Just beautiful!

    Reply

  33. #
    33
    Rowaida Flayhan — March 3, 2012 @ 11:40 pm

    Delicious love your recipe

    Reply

  34. #
    34
    Carolyn — March 4, 2012 @ 6:35 am

    I LOVE Chai tea. Better yet, made at home so I save some money!

    Reply

  35. #
    35
    sweetsugarbelle — March 5, 2012 @ 12:23 am

    Had to lol at the servings…Chai is my fave, Sommer!

    Reply

  36. #
    36
    Nici — March 5, 2012 @ 9:41 am

    Thanks for posting this. Can’t wait to try it! I was in India (for the first time) about two months ago. I’ve been told it’s very different now than it was even a few years ago. But I loved it.

    Reply

  37. #
    37
    Steve @ HPD — March 5, 2012 @ 2:38 pm

    Kinda funny (or at least mildly interesting) that American traditions largely revolve around those once-a-year type things (Thanksgiving dinner, dressing up for Halloween, Easter Egg hunts, fireworks for the 4th of July), while the rest of the world has traditions that they serve up each and every day. Wonder why that is. The melting pot aspect?

    Reply

  38. #
    38
    vianney — March 6, 2012 @ 7:51 am

    I love chai and it is really hard to find a great cup here in Texas. Who knew how easy is it to make, kinda embarrased I never searched out a recipe. Lucky me there it was in my Google reader, yay!

    Reply

  39. #
    39
    Howell — March 6, 2012 @ 7:54 am

    Love Chai Tea! I’ll have to make this!

    Reply

  40. #
    40
    Lana — March 6, 2012 @ 10:36 pm

    Our LA food bloggers’ group just went on a tour of Little India and at the place we met, we were served chai. I had it before, but this one was so much better. I have all the ingredients and I will definitely make it, as I am switching from coffee to tea gradually.
    And I am more inclined to drink like Indians do, in smaller cups, but with the obligatory cardamom pod (I love and respect myself, of course)
    Love the photos!

    Reply

  41. #
    41
    Wendy from Suburban Misfit — March 6, 2012 @ 11:13 pm

    Yes please! I’m a chai addict, but have never tried making my own. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  42. #
    42
    Lynn — March 22, 2012 @ 9:20 am

    I made this last night and I thought it was just ok. I think I would boil the spices a bit longer and then add the tea since 5 mins of boiling didn’t seem to be enough to bring out the flavors of the spices. It was very mild. I think this is a good starter recipe but I think there’s plenty of room to experiment, possibly add some ginger too. It could be that I’m just use to stronger spiced tea. Thanks for the recipe though!

    Reply

    • Sommer — March 22nd, 2012 @ 3:18 pm

      No problem Lynn. I’m wondering if there is a chance some of your spices are old. If so, it might take longer to release there flavors…

      Reply

  43. #
    43
    Ngoc — January 5, 2013 @ 4:54 pm

    Thanks for the recipe. In addition to your stated spices, I added 3 thick slices of fresh ginger, 1/2 t fennel seeds, 5 whole peppercorn into the boiling tea. I then added both sugar and milk and continued the boil for another 3 mins. Then I strained out the spices. This allowed the milk to pick up more flavor. It was perfect both hot and over ice! Thanks again!

    Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Pingback: How to Make Chai Tea — A Spicy Perspective | Really interesting recipes | Scoop.it

  2. Pingback: Indische chai - Indian chai - Amira op het web

  3. Pingback: Tea and Tea Blends: Not Just for Grandmas « 2Shopper

Leave a Comment