There’s tea – and then there’s masala chai. The kind that fills the kitchen with steam and spice, fogs up your glasses, and feels like a hug in a cup. It isn’t fancy, it isn’t fussy – but when done right, it can lift a tired morning, soften a long day, or spark a slow, rainy evening into something perfect.
Masala chai is not just tea with milk. It’s tea with heart. What makes it special is the warmth of spices – not just one, but a mix. Ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, and sometimes even a star anise tucked in – each home adds its own signature touch. Some like it bold and gingery, others soft and floral with a sweeter note. The balance is personal, instinctive. No two cups are ever exactly alike, and that’s part of the charm.
In my memory, the best masala chai was always at someone else’s house. Served in small steel tumblers or thick glass cups, too hot to hold at first. You’d blow gently, take a cautious sip, and feel the spices hit you in layers – sharp, sweet, earthy. It always came with conversation. Or quiet. Or rain.
The joy of masala chai is in the rhythm: boiling water with crushed spices, adding strong tea leaves, pouring in milk, letting it all simmer until the color deepens to that perfect reddish brown. The aroma hits before the first sip – and that alone is enough to make you pause.
All across India, masala chai plays a silent role – in train stations, corner shops, office canteens, roadside stalls, and slow kitchens. It cuts across everything – mood, place, time. You don’t need a reason to make chai. You just need a moment.
Even now, when I make masala chai at home, I don’t measure. I just reach for the things I know: a few pods of cardamom, a piece of ginger, one or two cloves – crushed, never powdered. The smell rises up. The tea boils over once. I lower the flame. And suddenly, the day feels warmer.
Masala chai isn’t just a drink. It’s a quiet ritual, a shared language, a pause – held together by spice, steam, and memory.
Masala Chai
Ingredients
Instructions
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In a pan, heat cardamom seeds, cinnamon powder, black pepper, clove, and star anise for a few minutes.
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Crush the roasted spices into a fine powder and mix with tea powder.
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In another pan, heat water.
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Add ginger pieces and boil for a few more minutes.
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Add the masala tea mix and stir well.
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Let it boil for two minutes.
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Add milk and sugar if required.
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Strain the masala tea into a cup.