Marsala Chai (Spiced Chai)
from https://www.teaforturmeric.com/

Tip from another website: Add dried orange peel with the spices.

Chai Tea, initially a rendition on Masala Chai, has evolved into its own drink. When you think of Chai Tea or Chai Tea Lattes, you think of the coffee shop drink made with concentrated Chai flavor. It’s so different from traditional Indian Masala Chai, that it can safely be categorized as a completely different drink.

Masala Chai is made by simmering the tea with spices and cooking down the milk. This lends it a richer, creamier, more complex taste. On the other hand, Chai Tea is made with steamed milk and has a more watered down yet sharp flavor (which comes from concentrate or powder). Masala Chai is typically not manually frothed while a Chai Tea Latte is distinctly frothy.

Tea bags, a few spices, milk, and sweetener are all you need to make this soul-soothing cup of chai. As always, if you’re missing a spice or two, don’t let that deter you from making it!

What type of Black Tea to use for Chai: I suggest using strong Pakistani/Indian black tea bags which are often made with Assam or Darjeeling tea leaves using the CTC method. Tapal, Wagh Bakri, Ahmad Tea, and Tetley are some of the brands commonly found in South Asian grocery stores. If using weaker tea or whole leaf Darjeeling or Assam, add more as needed (usually ~2 tbsp).

Whole spices: This recipe uses 4 whole spices that are commonly used to make Masala Chai:

Cinnamon sticks (both Cassia & Ceylon work here)
Cloves
Green cardamom pods
Black peppercorns

Fennel seeds – Optional, but I love how they make masala chai more vibrant. Some restaurants also use mint leaves which gives a similar, fresh flavor.

Fresh ginger root: If I’m feeling under the weather, I’ll add another slice or 2 of ginger. Otherwise, I prefer the ginger to be subtle. For stronger ginger flavor, use a mortar & pestle to crush it instead of slicing.

Milk: Feel free to use whole milk, reduced-fat milk, lactose-free milk, etc. For a dairy-free substitute, I’ve tried soymilk, which takes well to boiling. Here’s Minimalist’s Baker’s vegan version of Masala Chai in which she suggests using rich and creamy dairy-free milk such as oat milk or coconut milk.

Sugar: Though a regular cup of chai is fine unsweetened, I find sweetener is critical to drawing out and balancing the spices of Masala Chai. I love using the less-processed turbinado (similar to demerara sugar) and adding it while making the chai. This way, it dissolves into the chai instead of settling down to the bottom of your cup. You can substitute with any sweetener of choice. If using honey or maple syrup, add it once you’ve taken it off the heat.

I usually use the whole spices as-is for ease and because I find the long brew time is enough to extract their flavor. But I have tried grinding them and it does slightly increase their pungency.

For a slightly stronger flavor of the whole spices, roughly crush the spices using a mortar & pestle.

For even sharper, more pronounced flavor, grind them in a spice grinder to make a chai masala powder. It won’t change the flavor profile or throw off the balance of the spices, it’ll just increase their intensity. The drawback of this method is that remnants of chai masala powder may rest at the bottom of your cup.

Here’s how to make the perfect cup:

1. Place a saucepan over high heat and add water. If you’re using a larger pan, add an extra 1/4 cup water to account for the extra evaporation. Add the whole spices & ginger while the water is coming to a boil.
2. Throw in the tea bags (or leaves) and reduce the heat to a simmer so the tea and spices have time to infuse the water. Stop and smell the aroma of the spices here.
3. Add the milk and sugar. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and allow it to simmer for another 5 minutes or so.
4. Raise the heat to high and allow it to come to a rolling boil for a minute or so, depending on how ‘cooked’ you like the milk. There is no right or wrong, it simply boils down to �� preference.
5. Pour into cups through a strainer and discard tea bags & spices.

How to Aerate Chai

1. In Pakistan and India, Chai vendors (called chai walah) use a ladle to repeatedly scoop up and pour back the chai. I find this enhances the taste and creaminess.
2. Often, they’ll expertly pour the chai from a distance into small cups, creating natural, frothy bubbles.

If the color is not deep enough or the chai is not strong enough after you’ve allowed the milk to simmer for a few minutes, feel free to add more tea bags/tea leaves.

How to Serve Masala Chai (Hot or Iced)

• To Serve Hot: I love serving any type of milky tea with baked goods, cookies (or biscuits as many South Asians call them), or cake rusk. Since I sweeten Masala chai, it’s perfect as-is.
• To Serve Iced: Allow to cool, then store in the fridge in an airtight jar until chilled. Top with ice cubes. (I personally using leftover chai to make iced chai. To make it sweeter, I sometimes add coffee syrups.)

Easy Masala Chai (Tea) Recipe – Spiced Chai

An authentic recipe for Masala Chai (tea) or Indian Spiced Chai. This easy recipe uses black tea bags (or leaves) and whole spices and takes less than 20 minutes to make!

2 1/4 cups (532 ml) filtered water
1 3-inch cinnamon stick, ceylon or cassia are both fine
3 whole cloves
4 green cardamom pods, cracked open and deseeded (I throw seeds & pods in)
3 black peppercorns
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, optional
1/2- inch (~4 g) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
3 black tea bags or sub 3 tsp loose leaf black tea (Assam or Darjeeling), depending on brand, tea bags/leaves vary in strength
1 cup (8 oz) whole milk, or 2% reduced fat milk
4 tsp (20 g) turbinado cane sugar, or raw cane sugar

Heat a medium saucepan over high heat. Add water, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, black peppercorns, fennel seeds (if using), and ginger. (See Note 2) Bring to a boil and add the tea bags or leaves.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 7-10 minutes, depending on how strong you’d like the tea and spices. It will turn a deep burgundy color and reduce slightly.

Add milk and sugar and stir. Raise the heat to high (or allow the milk to come to a boil on its own, as I do on any given day). Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes.

When ready to serve, take the tea bags out, raise the heat to high and allow it to come to a rolling boil for 1-2 minutes, depending on how 'cooked' you like the milk. If you’d like, use a ladle to aerate the chai to deepen the flavor and make it creamier.

Pour into cups through a strainer and add more sweetener, if desired.

Yield 2 cups