Masala Chai Spice Mix

Masala Chai Spice Mix is the traditional Indian blend of warming ground spices that turns a cup of tea into chai. Cardamom gives a bright, aromatic freshness, ginger depth and gentle heat, cinnamon and cloves a sweet warmth, fennel and star anise subtle licorice tones, black pepper a mild spice and nutmeg a final cosy richness. A pinch also works well in coffee, porridge, pancake batter and baking.

It is a spice blend rather than a tea, so it is added to tea leaves rather than brewed on its own.

How to use it

For four cups, simmer two teaspoons of the blend in 500ml of water for three or four minutes, add two teaspoons of strong black tea leaves and simmer another two, then add 250ml of milk, bring it back to a simmer and sweeten to taste before straining. The technique tip: give the spices their own few minutes in the water before the tea goes in. The spices need heat and time to release, while black tea turns bitter if boiled long, so staging them is what separates a rounded chai from a stewed one.

Details

Also known as

Chai masala, chai spice mix, masala chai powder, Indian tea spice, mélange d'épices pour chai