Aromatic and with a blend of spices, where bold black tea meets creamy milk for a comforting cup you’ll crave again this autumn and the next!
It’s autumn, and if you’re not holding a hot cuppa of something and snuggled in a good, warm, soft blankie while it’s 25 °C out.. what are you even doing? So, to keep up with this autumnal season, autumnal recipes will be rolling in like hot buns, so keep up because it’s gonna be good.
First up on the list is Masala Chai. It’s an oldie but a goldie! I know, I know, Pumpkin Spice gets the gold stamp, and I even have a recipe for Dirty Pumpkin Spice London Fog Latte (mouthful, i know). But, I wanna challenge that a little bit.
Now, I know Masala Chai is a comfort drink for many Indians no matter what the season, but especially when it’s raining outside, paired with hot, piping pakoras. I made a batch of Masala Chai recently because it was starting to get a little chilly, and having that Masala Chai in hand was just a pure comfort cup in the midst of the beginning autumn weather. Plus, if you don’t drink coffee, like my husband, or like me before I was 23 years old (don’t ask how I transitioned), then this is your call to make this drink and tell all those Pumpkin Spice drinkers there’s a new sheriff in town: Masala Chai Latte. The warmth of the spices and the intensity of the brewed tea paired with hot milk is really the kind of flavor that lingers and makes you crave the next cup.
PSA: please don’t say “Masala Chai tea” because masala means spices (referring to a blend of spices) and chai literally means tea. So if you say Masala Chai tea, you’re actually saying “Masala Tea Tea.” Please don’t bring dishonour to your family and cows at home (Mulan, anyone?).
Okay, so don’t forget to try this, avoid saying “Masala Chai tea,” and tag me on my socials or use @saffronandsunday in your post if you do try this! Or better yet, leave some love below in the comments!
Masala Chai Latte
Ingredients
- 3 pcs Green Cardamom
- 2 pcs Star Anise
- 1 tsp Cloves
- 1½ tsp Black Peppercorns
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 stick Cinnamon
- 3-4 slices Ginger
- 2-4 mugs/cups Water use the mug/cup you would be serving the tea in
- 2 Teabags Black Tea Lipton tea, Ceylon tea, Assam tea, Scottish/English Breakfast (see Recipe Notes)
- 2-4 mugs/cups Whole Milk use the mug/cup you would be serving the tea in
Instructions
- Slice 3-4 pieces of ginger and bruise them with the pestle and mortar to release more flavor. Alternatively, you can use the ginger slices without bruising them. If you prefer a milder ginger taste, feel free to use less, but avoid using too little, as ginger helps balance all the flavors.
- I personally like to dry roast the spices to release their essential oils and deepen their flavors, but this step can be skipped. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the spices until they are broken but not ground. This helps extract as much flavor as possible during the brew. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, you can add the whole spices as they are.
- In a milk pan, add water, the crushed spices, ginger, and the cinnamon stick. Bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, lower the heat and add the tea bags. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes, do not let it come to a full boil.
- Option 1 Classic Masala Chai: Add the milk at this stage and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat. Using a tea strainer, strain it into the mugs or cups used to measure the water/milk, add sugar, and enjoy a delicious cup of masala chai. Option 2 Masala Chai Latte: For a deeper, more intense flavor, do not add milk yet. Instead, remove the spiced tea from the heat and let it steep for about 2 hours to enhance the flavors. After steeping, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
- (If you chose option 2, then proceed with this step) Once the masala chai has brewed, strain it into the mugs or cups used to measure the water/milk using a tea strainer. Add sugar and stir. Then, froth hot milk separately and pour it into the tea and sip away!
