Not chai tea, which is like saying 'tea tea'. The italics are intentional. I do find it irritating. But I understand the reason for the mistake as well. Can we meet in the middle and call it slightly irritating? It’s why I used italics instead of caps and bold. Regardless, we're all good. I got it off my chest, I'm sharing, and we're learning.
Chai is black tea leaves boiled in water and infused with whole spices. That boiling pot of deliciousness is then mixed with milk, sweetened, and served piping hot. The key here is balance. Nothing – especially the sweetness – should be off balance. Why the syrupy sludge they serve in some coffee chains is truly disappointing to those of us who know better. It's not even close to what we drink and call 'chai'. If you like it – go for it, but know that it can be and is so, so much better!
Growing up Indian in Pennsylvania, it was my job to make the weekend morning chai. I began with a small-ish pot and measured out 3 cups of water for three people. As I waited for a boil, I'd squash 4 green cardamom pods and a clove or two in a miniature brass mortar and pestle my mother kept in a drawer to the left side of the stove. I’m not going to lie, some of the aggression I felt for not being allowed to sleep in on a Saturday came out on those poor spices – but the chai was better for it.
The ground, fragrant mix was added to the boiling water with a broken stick of cinnamon, and if I felt generous or someone had a cold, a slice of fresh ginger. Then it tumbled together in a mad boil until everything darkened. Only then did I add the teabags. My personal rule was one bag per cup of tea. Two minutes of boiling, and then would come the milk (whole, 2 percent, or skim), just enough to make the concoction slightly creamy. Too much milk and the proportion would be off. As chai came to a full boil, it would have to be watched intently lest it overboil – the signs of a novice in the arena of chai making. Once boiled, I’d turn the stove off, fish out the teabags, and put a lid on the pot to allow the intense heat to truly fuse all the flavors. Then, one more boil and I’d pour it into the respective mugs, along with a teaspoon of honey each. Sigh. Perfection every time.
xoxo Anupy
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 3 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Makes: 2 cups
If you’re subscribed to our weekly emails, you’ve probably noticed a block of code pop up under our latest recipes. On the blog, that’s actually a super handy printable/downloadable recipe — but it doesn’t display correctly in email (ahhh, technology!). Click through to our website to access this feature, and rest assured — there’s a method to our madness!
[[ recipeID=recipe-2mhfcn8er, title=Drink: Authentic Indian Chai ]]
Comments will be approved before showing up.
by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie
Servings: 2 cups
Keywords: Indian Recipes, Chai, Chai masala, chai tea, tea, latte
Thanks for sharing our website with your friends and family!
Pallavi
July 14, 2010
Hey Anupy, I discovered your blog today through 101 cookbooks blog. Really cool to see an Indian posting authentic recipes. This one in particular as my reaction to chai-tea is very similar to yours!I will soon try this recipe out!
I have recently started writing a blog on restaurant reviews and recipes. I designed the branding for it and I also take pictures on my own. Please check it out if you can at http://www.indigo-indiaandbeyond.blogspot.com/
Thanks and good luck!