Unlock the Secrets to Authentic Masala Chai with This Homemade Recipe

A recipe for authentic flavor and healthy benefits

Chai spices

“Tea is to the body as music is to the soul."

— Earlene Grey

Cherished for centuries in India, masala chai is a powerful blend of black tea, herbs, and warming spices. While it may seem complex to prepare, this authentic recipe simplifies the process, bringing the rich, spiced essence of India right to your cup with ease.

Once you have the chai spice recipe in your spice rack, you can quickly make homemade masala chai anytime. You’ll never return to store-bought chai!

What is masala chai?

Masala means 'mixture of spices' in Hindi. Chai rhymes with 'pie.' In many parts of the world, chai is the word for tea. So, when we mistakenly say 'chai tea' in America, we are saying 'tea tea.' Masala chai is a spice mix (masala), tea (chai), or spiced tea.

This sweet spiced tea from India is made from rich black tea and spices. Each blend is unique, but most include cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper. Traditional Indian chai spices are designed to promote health and peace of mind.

The more I learn about chai, the more benefits I find in this delicious tea blend of herbs and spices. It has transformed many people's love of tea.

Whole chai spices

America's introduction to masala chai

My oldest daughter is not a big fan of plain black tea but loves a good chai. I first discovered chai when I read “Nirvana in a Cup,” a book by Tede McMillen, co-founder of Oregon Chai. The book was later retitled “Million Dollar Cup of Tea.”

It's a fascinating story about a mother-daughter business team who created and grew a beverage brand from a kitchen recipe to a $75 million company in ten years. If you’re interested in food entrepreneurship, this is a great read.

Since I introduced my daughter to chai, she loved it so much that I would buy the chai concentrate. Then, when I tried other brands of chai concentrate, I found they never tasted quite as good. Eventually, I decided to learn how to make my own homemade chai. After a few trials, I settled on the recipe I have posted here.

And no, Starbucks’ "Chai Tea Latte" is not authentic chai! (In her book, Tede describes how Howard Shultz tried to buy her daughter's chai recipe.)

Chai ingredients

All chai spice blends use cardamom, the most essential and expensive spice. The good news is that you don’t need much of it to flavor your chai.

For the tea, I recommend a strong black tea, such as an English Breakfast, an Indian Assam, or a nice Chinese Keemun. Select a black tea that is well-suited to milk and sugar to balance the intense spice flavors.

Ground spice mixes (masala) for chai

Tips:

• Freshly grinding the spices with a spice grinder gives you the full benefit of the aromatic compounds in the spices. Aromatic compounds are the flavors that make these spices so delicious.

• The spice (masala) mix yields about 60 cups of chai using ¼ teaspoon per cup.

• Save the spice mix in a glass spice jar for future use.

• You can increase the black pepper if you like a little more kick. I used a moderate amount of pepper in this masala recipe.

• Chai is best made with whole milk to extract the full flavor of these compounds.

• Froth the milk. I use a handheld electric milk frother, but many options are available.

Handheld electric milk frother

What is Cardamom Spice?

Cardamom is revered for its medicinal properties, which date back to 1550 BCE in Egypt’s Ebers Papyrus. The Ebers Papyrus is the Egyptian document of herbal knowledge and one of the oldest and most important medical documents of the time.

• Cardamom, indigenous to the hills of southern India, is used in many recipes for its sweet and savory wellness qualities.

• Cardamom is known as a digestive aid and appetite stimulant. It also acts as a diuretic and antioxidant. The seed is chewed as a breath refresher.

• Cardamom is a good source of Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, dietary fiber, iron, and manganese.

• An interesting tidbit - the ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Arabs all thought cardamom contained aphrodisiac qualities and added it to their love potions. I’ve read that it helps with erectile dysfunction. Maybe that’s why it’s so expensive?!

Chai spices are loaded with significant nutrition and without extra calories. Nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger all have excellent health benefits, but as a bonus, chai also contains the single most antioxidant-packed substances on the planet—cloves and cinnamon. Add the spice mix to black tea to compound your antioxidants and enjoy a delicious chai.

Health benefits of masala chai herbs & spices

Black tea — Tea is high in polyphenols and is a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants have proven health benefits for cardiovascular health.

Black tea contains an amino acid called l-theanine, unique to tea and has interesting brain effects. L-theanine increases alpha brain waves, inducing a calm and deeply relaxed state. Combined with the caffeine, about half the amount found in coffee, the overall effect is a focused calm.

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READ: Theanine: The Beneficial Amino Acid Found Only in Tea

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Clove — Often used for an upset stomach. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Calcium, and Iron and an excellent source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Magnesium, and Manganese.

Cinnamon — Contains large amounts of highly potent polyphenol antioxidants. Some studies show that the antioxidants in cinnamon have anti-inflammatory activity.

Black Pepper—One tablespoon of ground black pepper contains moderate amounts of vitamin K, iron, manganese, and trace amounts of other essential nutrients, protein, and dietary fiber.

Nutmeg—Its beneficial components include dietary fiber, manganese, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, and copper. Although it has many benefits, it is often used sparingly, as it can be toxic in very large doses.

Since ancient times, nutmeg and its oil have been used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicines for illnesses related to the nervous and digestive systems. The compounds in nutmeg are reported to soothe and stimulate the brain.

Ginger — A good source of Vitamin C, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, and Manganese. Ginger is used frequently for dyspepsia, slow digestive motility symptoms, constipation, or colic.

Reference:

Khalsa, K. P. S., & Tierra, M. (2008). The way of Ayurvedic herbs: A contemporary introduction and practical manual for the world's oldest healing system (Paperback ed.). Lotus Press.

Easy homemade masala chai recipe

This chai recipe is so easy to make. It's a fantastic spiced beverage full of warmth and a soothing effect. Chai acts as a natural digestive aid and provides a wonderful sense of nourishment and well-being. I can't say enough about this beverage.

With this ready-made homemade spice mix, you can make a homemade chai from scratch anytime. Make a batch of the spice mix (masala) and save it for future chai (tea) cups.

Ingredients

Masala (spice) mix:

(Measurements are for the ground spice, not the whole spice.)

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons ground ginger

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon ground cardamom seed

• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Chai (tea):

• ½ cup whole milk

• ¾ cup filtered water

• 1-2 teaspoons pure cane sugar

• 1-2 teaspoons black loose tea

• ¼ teaspoon masala (spice mix)

Instructions

PART 1: Make the masala (spice) mix

• Grind masala spices in a mortar & pestle or electric spice or coffee bean grinder.

• OR use pre-ground spices. I used pre-ground ginger and nutmeg.

• Measurements are for the ground spice, not the whole spice.

• Mix all the spice ingredients.

• Place masala mix in a sealed glass spice jar.

• Label and save.

PART 2: Make the chai

• Bring water to a boil.

• Pour all the ingredients (tea, spices, and milk) into a spouted saucepan.

• Bring to a slow boil and reduce immediately, stirring continuously.

• Lower heat to a very low simmer and stir for 3-5 minutes.

• Strain the tea and spices into a heat-safe pitcher.

• Froth with an electric milk frother.

• Or do as in India and pour from a height of 12 inches to achieve a similar effect!

• Pour into a cup and enjoy. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Notes

The spice (masala) mix yields about 60 cups of chai, using ¼ teaspoons per cup. You can adjust the amount of spice mix to your taste. Save the mix in a glass spice jar. If you like a little more kick, increase the black pepper. I used a moderate amount of pepper in this recipe.

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