Chai Recipe

This is real-deal Indian chai. For good-sized mugs, the general rule I use is about 1 cup water & 1 cup milk per mug of chai.

This recipe should make 2-3 mugs of chai.

If you scale the recipe, use 1 more tea bag than you have people drinking.

Ingredients

• 3 black tea bags (Tea India is good, but Lipton or loose tea would work)
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups milk
• 1 “thumb” of fresh or frozen whole ginger
• 4-5 whole cardamom seeds
• 1 tsp whole fennel seeds
• ~1 tbsp coarsely-chopped fresh/frozen/dried lemongrass (optional)

Instructions

• If possible, lightly crush the cardamom and fennel seeds before beginning
• Peel and slice the ginger.
• In a saucepot, bring the water, ginger, cardamom, and fennel to a boil. If using lemongrass, add it too.
• Add teabags.
• After 20-30 seconds, add the milk.
• Stir slowly but continuously as the chai comes back to boiling.
• The chai will begin to boil and foam up. When the foam starts to rise, take the pot off the burner and stir the foam away.
• Repeat the on burner→chai starts to foam up→off burner cycle 2 to 3 times. This is important for the flavor.
• Strain into cups, add 1-2 spoons of sugar per mug.