Masala chai: guiders manual

Sagar-ji

hi IM!

I have some serious problems here: i have bought some masala chai powder (with cardamom and other spices) in kerala but i don t know how to make it!

Is there anyone with some experience here?

appreciate your help!

Sagar-ji

eater

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sagar-ji hi IM! I have some serious problems here: i have bought some masala chai powder (with cardamom and other spices) in kerala but i don t know how to make it! Is there anyone with some experience here? appreciate your help! Sagar-ji

Hello Sagar-ji, this is how I make my masala chai.....mix milk/water (50/50, or threequater cup of water and half cup of milk) in a milk pan (pot), add a quarter of a tea-spoon (or a pinch) of the masala,

add 2 tea spoons of tea leaves (or 2 tea bags, I like my chai strong)

bring slowly to a boil, add sugar to your liking. Boil or let simmer for a few minutes (watch the color). Cover pan, turn off heat, let it sit for a couple of minutes........and enjoy masala chai!!

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aadil

The masala chai powder does not include tea in it so you make your tea the way you normally do and then add a small amount (about quarter teaspoon) of the powder to the tea and mix it with the boiling water and milk. Let it simmer for a short time before you take it off the burner.

I prefer my tea without milk so I generally do not use the masala chai powder in my tea though I do have some tea with mint leaves, ginger, cardamom or cinnamon separately!!! Especially the Kashmiri Kahwa which is one of my favourites otherwise I prefer the Darjeeling FTGFOP (Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) First or Second Flush tea. No chai masala for me in these teas!!!

Hope you have a nice cuppa hot tea now!!!

Cheers,
Aadil.

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dani

If you want to use masala in your chai, you should choose a strong flavored tea.
I love tea from the nilgiris, or if not available, the assam teas are always a save bet.
Make sure you get real black tea! My last delivery was more oolong than black tea.
Oolong means only partially oxidated, something in between of green tea and black tea).
It's a good tea, but no good for a masala chai

AvidTrekker

Here are some old threads on the topic....

Ginger tea

Help! Tea Making Question

ENJOY your massaalaa chaai!!!

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Vibhu Jindal

Sagar-Ji .....
Chai Masala can be used in no. of ways depending upon ur choice.
Some people like to drain it out along with the tea leafs so they add masala while making the tea and let it boil through out so the taste of masala is also strong.

While some people like to get the granules of masala in their mouth and like less strong flavouring of masala..so they add masala after they have drained the leafs .......some who like to have masala in their tea but want lil bit stronger flavour of the masala, they also add masala after they have drained the leafs but then they give their chai one more boil to have stronger flavouring of Masala.

Hope this helps and one point always buy that chai masala that has saffron in it and the masala shouldnt be grounded very fine rather it should be corsly ground with big particles in it.

Nick-H

I put everything together and boil then simmer for a minute or three.

Some of the spices, like cinnamon, take a fair bit of cooking to release the flavour.

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jyotirmoy

Good tea should be drunk with out any spices... I really dont know why many people mix these spices.... to me it is like mixing coke with a single highland malt !!!!! But it is my opinion....

Vibhu Jindal

well as said above tea without milk ought to be drunk as it is but milk tea might taste better with masala

jyotirmoy

Why Vibhu a spot of milk added to a cup of Darjeeling tea is very very good !!!!

Nick-H

Well yes, good tea should be drunk straight, english style, either black or with a little cold milk. Using quality leaf tea for making chai, whether masala or not, would be a complete waste.

But my daily drink of choice is massala chai. It is only necessary that the tea be strong enough not to be completely hidden by the spice, but not have too strong, coarse flavour.

Here in India we buy Brooke Bond Taj Mahal tea; in UK I use PG Tips tea bags.

My wife distinguishes between "tea powder" and "leaf tea". The tea powder is fine for chai. Save the leaf tea for the bone china cups, the silver tea pot, etc

jyotirmoy

Nick try Lipton's Green Label.

aask

Masala Chai. Here are some basic techniques:
In the west, if you are using 3% or 5% milk your chai will never have the flavour of the masala chai in India. That is because in India it is 'full' milk that goes to make the 60% water-40% milk chai.
So if you are using low fat milk, do not use water, make your chai in full milk.
This gives the luscious texture to your chai.

Masala means mixture. You can make your choice of spices.
The most simple and the most popular is dry ginger and cardomom along with sugar and the tea itself. For 2 cups of tea (250 ml) 2 cardamom, and dry ginger pcs same volume as that of cardomom. Bring all ingredients boil for a minute or two.

Vibhu Jindal

tell u the truth Jyoti da ........i am more of a puritan when it comes to tea ...according to me black tea shud be drunk black with no aota of milk in it and should preferabley be made from tea leafs not scented tea bags.
to me milk destroys the subtle taste in flavoured teas like :
Darjeeling's orange peako
Early gray
Lemon tea ( not the scented one)
apple tea
Jasmine tea
Sweet Kashmiri Kahwa ( one with saffron and almond and instead of sugar one uses honey.....yum yum yum)

Vibhu Jindal

among the commecially branded tea mix's try Nestle's Taster Choice..........i like it..try this Nick