Indian Masala Chai: Spiced Milk Tea Simmered from Scratch for the School Thermos

Bring the water, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, ginger and fennel if using to a boil in a saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes so the spices infuse and the kitchen smells like a chai stall.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 black peppercorns
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons loose black tea (Assam or CTC) or 4 tea bags
• 2 cups whole milk
• 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar or jaggery, to taste
• 1 pinch fennel seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring the water, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, ginger and fennel if using to a boil in a saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes so the spices infuse and the kitchen smells like a chai stall.
2. Add the black tea and simmer 2 minutes more until the liquid is deep amber. Do not go longer or it turns bitter.
3. Pour in the milk and sugar and bring back to a gentle boil, watching closely so it does not foam over. Let it bubble 2 minutes; traditional chai wallahs let it rise and fall a couple of times to build body.
4. Strain through a fine sieve into a warmed teapot or straight into cups.
5. For the thermos: preheat the thermos with hot tap water for a minute, empty it, then pour in the strained chai. It stays hot for 4 to 5 hours.
6. Make-ahead: brew a double batch of the spiced tea concentrate (steps 1 and 2) and refrigerate up to 5 days; each morning, heat 1 cup concentrate with 1 cup milk and sugar for a two-minute chai.
7. Masala chai is the daily rhythm of India, poured from roadside stalls into small glasses several times a day and made at home to a recipe every family argues about. Black tea only became an Indian habit under British trade in the 1800s, but the spiced milk version is thoroughly Indian, borrowing the warming spices of Ayurvedic kadha. It is caffeinated but gentle, warming on a cool September morning, and a thermos of it makes a far better mid-morning pick-me-up than anything from a vending machine.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 130 kcal
• Protein: 4g
• Fat: 4g
• Carbohydrates: 20g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 55mg