INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of water

• 1 cup of milk

• 4 tsp of black tea (Assam or Darjeeling recommended)

• Sugar

• Black peppercorns – 1/2 tsp

• Green Cardamom – 4 pods

• Cloves – 2

• Grated ginger – 2 tsp

Utensils

• Saucepan

• Teaspoons

• Tea strainer

• Teacups

• Something heavy to crack the peppercorns with. Example: mortar and pestle, rolling pin or piano

METHOD

Recipe makes two cups of Masala Chai or one giant mug (the way I like it!)

1. Bring 2 cups of water in a saucepan to a rolling boil

2. Add 2 tsp of the best quality tea you can find. Assam or Darjeeling tea is recommended. 

3. Chuck in the 2 tsp of grated ginger, 2 cloves & 4 cardamom pods. Let the decoction brew for at least 5 min

4. Add 1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper & as much sugar as you’d like and brew for another minute

5. Pour in 1 cup of milk. Full cream is great but skimmed milk will also do. Coconut milk will not do.

6. Brew your chai for 3 more minutes. The most important thing to achieve is the colour. There is nothing more depressing than insipid chai, so brew till the chai turns the colour of a terracotta  clay pot. Pinkish brown is what we’re going for.

7. Strain into cups / mugs and serve piping hot!

Goes great with with my Kerala Style Onion Pakoras.. Pakorae? Not sure what the plural noun for Pakora is!