Masala chai recipe

Serving: 1

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp CTC black tea (heaping)
• 2 tsp sugar (or to taste)
• 7 green cardamom pods
• 6 whole cloves
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2 star anise
• 1 flat cinnamon stick (roughly 2-inch piece)
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, diced

Instructions

1. Crush the spices: Crack open the 7 green cardamom pods pods (discard the husks if you like, or leave them in). Lightly crush them along with the 6 whole cloves, 10 black peppercorns, and 1 cinnamon stick (roughly 2-inch piece) in your mortar. You want them cracked open and fragrant, not powdered.
2. Bloom spices in water: Add 1 cup water to a small saucepan along with all the crushed spices and the 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, thinly sliced. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. This extracts the volatile oils before the milk goes in.
3. Add tea and simmer: Add 1 teaspoon CTC tea (heaping) to the simmering spiced water. Simmer for 2 minutes. CTC tea is robust and extracts fast. Don’t be shy with the tea; it needs to stand up to the milk.
4. Add milk and bring up: Pour in 1 cup whole milk and 2 teaspoons sugar. Raise the heat to medium and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Watch carefully, as milk boils over fast. Once it reaches a rolling boil, reduce heat and let it simmer for another 4 minutes. This is what gives chai its body and slightly creamy texture.
5. Strain and serve: Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a mug. Serve immediately. Taste and adjust sugar if needed.