Masala Chai is an Indian spiced tea. I make it the authentic way by brewing black tea with crushed whole spices, ginger, sugar and milk. This version tastes Indian restaurant style - delicately sweet, gently spiced and with plenty of milk.

Three glasses of masala chai placed on a serving tray, next to a small bowl of sugar.

Note – This post has been updated with new images and content. First published in 26 April 2016. Recipe remains the same.

A Soothing Masala Chai That Will Become Your Daily Ritual

Ah masala chai - the unofficial companion of Indians everywhere.

It's the answer to everything. Happy? Masala chai. Sad? Masala chai. Monday? Definitely masala chai.

There are so many versions of chai. Karak chai is robust, adrak wali chai brings deep ginger warmth, and cardamom chai is elegant and floral, especially alongside a sweet bake. Doodh patti is made with milk only! Masala chai, though, does a bit of everything, milky, sweet and spiced but always comforting.

This version is very much that chai wala and restaurant-style brew, where the spices simmer unil aromatic without overpowering the tea itself.

For everyday, I tend to use a small spoon of Gujarati chai masala powder instead. It's quick and easy, saving time on pounding the whole spices.

I take my masala chai with savouries like methi paratha or Gujarati handvo. If it's more of a treat, it's got to be these nankhatai.

Hayley x

The Recipe Ingredients

Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.

Whole milk - I particularly like using full fat milk as it makes the tea creamy and thick - just like the one in restaurants and tea stalls. If you really want to make it rich and thick, increase the milk to water ratio. I usually add more tea if I do this for strength. You can also use evaporated milk but use a bit less than the recipe suggests.

Black tea - I use an Indian brand of black loose tea but tea bags work well too. I recommend PG tips - don't ask me exactly why, but I feel the taste of PG tips just works for masala tea.

Whole spices - authentic masala chai will only have cinnamon bark, clove, black peppercorns and green cardamoms.

Fresh ginger - you need to use plenty of fresh ginger root that is grated or pounded to release its juices. I've noticed that simply adding pieces of ginger is wasteful and will not release flavour.

Sugar - a must if you want the taste of an authentic masala chai. I have used white sugar but you can use brown sugar (has a slight difference in flavour).

Step by Step Method

A female hand is adding loose black tea from small bowl in boiling water in a pan.

A female hand is adding ground ginger and spices using a spoon into a boiling black tea.

A female hand is poring a milk using a glass jug into boiling black tea.

A female hand is adding sugar from the bowl into boiling indian masala chai.

Two cups of masala chai on a worktop, in the background a small wooden board and a plate placed.

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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