A truly authentic Indian Chai tea recipe, as made for me by my lovely Indian mother-in-law. Tea the Indian way is rich and milky, deeply coloured, steaming hot, flavourful and sweet. You’ll love this homemade masala chai from scratch with warming spices like whole cinnamon.
What is Chai Tea?
The pale tea that North Americans typically drink is nothing close to the tea drunk by millions of Indians.
Indian tea, called chai in hindi, is rich and milky, deeply coloured, steaming hot, and boldly flavourful with a definite need for sugar to offset the toasty bitterness.
The word chai just means tea. Chai = tea.
If you ask for chai tea in India, you’re asking for tea tea and your dorky adorableness will get laughed at a little bit.
Masala chai, on the other hand, is what you’re probably aiming for – it’s the spiced version. Masala = spices. When we think of chai in North America, we are probably thinking of masala chai.
If you visit India, you’ll see chai-wallas on every corner, calling out “chai! chai! chai!” and pouring steaming tea from a height (called “pulling” the chai), allowing it to cool a bit as it streams into little metal cups.
Chai Tea Recipe Ingredients
What I love so much about it is that the tea is actually brewed in milk and water in a saucepan on the stove.
Because of this, it stays piping hot until ready to be drunk, rather than cooling down as it steeps in a teapot.
Authentic chai tea is made of:
- Water
- Milk (in a ratio of roughly one part milk to two parts water
- Lots of tea leaves or tea bags for strong infusion
- Plenty of sugar
- Optional addition of spices
How to Make Chai Tea at Home
Despite what Starbucks would have you believe with their chai tea lattes, the real homemade chai tea recipe doesn’t start with a syrup and it’s not super heavily spiced.
A “recipe” is not really necessary; it’s really the method that matters.
The most important key for flavour is to make really good strong tea without letting it get bitter from oversteeping.
Here’s how to make really good cup of chai:
- Bring water, milk and spices to a simmer in a small saucepan on the stove (adding the spices from the start gives them plenty of time to infuse).
- Reduce heat and add in black tea to brew.
- Wait for tea to steep (don’t boil it at this point or the tea releases too many tannins – those bitter compounds that make your mouth feel dry).
- Strain the warm spiced mixture into a mug; this will hold back the whole spices and tea leaves.
- Stir sugar into your chai and sweeten to taste.
Scale the recipe measurements below to the number of servings you need.
Chai Tea Spices
If you love the flavour of North American coffee-shop chai lattes, you can buy tea masala at any Indian grocer, which is just a ground mixes of sweet spices.
I personally find those spice blends usually taste dusty. I prefer to infuse my chai with fresh whole spices instead.
Some of the most common spices (masala) used in a homemade Indian chai recipe include:
- cinnamon sticks (or 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon)
- fresh ginger
- whole cloves
- green cardamom pods (or a pinch of ground cardamom)
- nutmeg
- allspice
- star anise
- fennel
- black peppercorns
My personal favourite spice blend includes fresh ginger root, whole cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and sometimes fennel. You can use any or all of them to make your own flavour.
I typically just toss in a few cardamom pods and fennel seeds. Warming and delicious.
If you don’t have whole spices, you can use ground. Start with a bit and work up in quantity, as the intensity will vary.
What Tea Should You Use to Make Chai Tea at Home?
I love loose-leaf black tea leaves like assam or darjeeling, and the flavour is incredible in spiced tea.
- This Tata Black Tea is the brand of premium Assam loose leaf tea my mother-in-law brings mr from India (and I can also find it at our Indian grocery stores).
- For the most part at home, however, I use whatever black tea I can easily find at the grocery store. For me, that is basic Tetley Orange Pekoe.
- If you are avoiding caffeine, you could make it with decaf black tea (but I find the flavour is super lacklustre) or a rooibos tea.
How to Sweeten This Chai Tea Recipe
For authenticity, chai should be generously sweetened.
I’ve seen recipes call for 1 tbsp sugar per cup. I don’t measure, but I probably use 1 1/2-2 tsp in a coffee mug. It should have a similar sweetness to hot cocoa.
Just avert your eyes and keep on spooning.
(It won’t have more sugar than a Starbucks anyway, you’ll just be aware instead of ignorant.)
To sweeten this chai tea recipe, you can use:
- Plain granulated white sugar
- Natural cane sugar (my fav, because it adds rich flavour)
- Maple syrup or honey (not my preference, because those flavours are bolder and don’t belong)
What Milk Should I Use for Chai?
You have options here:
- Plain whole cow’s milk is the authentic standard.
- In parts of India where fresh milk isn’t as easily available, powdered whole milk is used instead. I really actually love the flavour of this, too, and the concentrated creamy milkiness it imparts. Try it if you ever get the chance.
- If you don’t do dairy milk, you are welcome to use your favourite substitute, however I don’t personally like the flavour of most almond, soy, or coconut milk alternatives.
- The only milk substitute that I enjoy the texture and flavour of is Earth’s Own Barista Oat Milk (that’s an Amazon link for a visual product reference but it appears they only sell it by the case).
Is Chai Tea High in Caffeine?
Yes! Chai tea is brewed strongly with lots of black tea. However coffee contains nearly twice the amount of caffeine in tea.
Furthermore, black tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid with therapeutic calming properties.
I am a Registered Dietitian and I actually take L-theanine as a supplement for stress and sleep.
Because of this compound, the overall caffeine feeling in chai is a less-aggressive buzz than a cup of chai coffee.
Keep in mind that the more tea bags you use, the longer you steep it, and the more you stir it all make for a higher-caffeine chai.
Are There Health Benefits to Drinking Chai?
Wondering what chai tea can do for you or if it’s healthier than drinking coffee? Well, masala chai infused with spices may offer some impressive health benefits. Spices like black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and clove have shown biological activity in preventing disease.
There is good evidence to show that spices can reduce inflammation, and chronic inflammation is related to so many illnesses.
So drink up, chai lovers! Happy cozy-weather sipping. (And thanks, Amma, for all the tea and love.)
Other Chai Recipes you will love
- Karak Chai (Adarsh’s Middle-Eastern obsession)
- Chai Coffee Recipe
- Iced Chai Latte Recipe
- Chai Concentrate Recipe
My Indian Husband’s Favorite Recipes:
- Easy Homemade Butter Paneer
- Flaky Homemade Potato Samosas or Chicken Samosas
- Best-Ever Creamy Butter Chicken (one of the most popular recipes on the website!)
- The Butter Naan Recipe that went totally viral
- Adarsh’s Chicken Korma that he says will change your life.
- Creamy Madras Lentils (the ultimate vegetarian comfort food)
- Amma’s special Masoor Dal recipe
Chai Tea Recipe (Authentic Indian Style!)
Video
Ingredients
- 8 oz water
- 4 oz whole milk
- granulated sugar to taste (about 2 heaped teaspoons per serving, traditionally)
- 1 heaping tablespoon of black tea empty out tea bags to make a tablespoon if you don’t buy loose leaves
Add any (or all) of the following:
- 4 cardamom pods smashed with side of a knife
- small piece of cinnamon stick
- ¼ ” coin of fresh ginger
- pinch of fennel seeds about 10 seeds
Instructions
- Bring water and milk to a simmer with desired spices in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to lowest setting and add tea. Steep until tea takes on a deep, pinky-tan colour, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain into a cup and stir in sugar to taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I saw the ingredients you listed for the tea but in the recipe you omitted the cloves and star anise. why ? and if wanted to add them how much to add ? I really want to try making this tea at home. But am a bit confused.
Hi Kathleen, you can make the recipe as written or add/swap in a similar quantity of cloves and star anise. I’d just do a few cloves and one whole star anise as it is quite powerful.
I love your frank “outing” on north American teas and chai drinking as insipid and “spineless.” -so true. One error: “You can by (you mean: buy) tea masala at any Indian grocer…”
My favorite Indian restaurant used to have the best chai tea. Whenever I go to coffee shops or see recipes on Pinterest, they always include pepper. I don’t know why anyone would want that type of kick in their tea. I’m glad I came across your recipe because it has occurred to me that the Indian version of chai is different than the American version. I can’t wait to make this myself. I think I might make a giant batch and just reheat a serving at a time. That should work right?
You add far too much milk and instead of sugar add honey so the tea is much healthier and good
My mom makes amazing chai and only need a splash or two of milk. Also I wonder what kind of black tea (best to avoid tea bags)
I also found shredded ginger is great but on cold days tiny ginger bites can really warm you up far more! Hope this helps 🙂
This recipe was very easy and it’s so delicious!! I added a pinch of allspice and a little bit more cinnamon and it was perfect.
As someone who has been making chai at home for 25 years, this recipe is very true. I liked the backstory (which normally I scrolled through) bc it gave me a perspective on what type of “chai” would be made.
I was taught milk:water ratio of 1:2 (ish) when I used 2%, 1:3(ish) with whole milk and you can even use evaporated milk when serving to guests to get a really milky flavor. Every once in a while I get tea from the motherland that no matter how hard I try I cannot find here.
I like to use tetley loose leaf tea when buying in the US (again orange pekoe) bc I feel it has a better flavor than red label… but red label is fine and found in every international store that has anything Indian.
My fav spice: just cardamom… which I now keep in a spice grinder bc we make this at least daily if not more…. though in the winter months adding ginger is my second. 🙂
Has any one tried Hanuman Chai? That is the true chai made in the real authentic Indian way
Delicious tastes like the real deal and without the black tea it’s just as tasty either way if you want caffeine free
I make enough for about 8 smallish servings in a dutch oven. Strain and store in a large pitcher in the fridge. It will last me 1-2 days before I have to make more. I like tea very much, but after drinking homemade chai regular black tea pales in comparison. I buy black tea from The English Tea Store, or Tevana has teas also.
I never write reviews, but after making this I just had to. The flavor was amazing and I will never go back to the store bought stuff!!! As recommended, I only used fresh spices instead of the Masala mix, and added anise seed in addition to the others… It turned out so good!!! My only recommendation for plant based folk is to adjust the water/milk ratio to 50/50, since plant milks are much more water.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe
what a delicious recipe! we are in abu dhabi and wanted to learn how to make a delicious, full-flavoured version of this drink, and that is what we got (we even added a little condense milk at the end, to make it more like karak)! also loved the broader cultural context and the story offered!