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Indian · India

Masala Chai

Masala chai is spiced milk tea — the beverage of India, brewed on every street corner, in every kitchen, at every hour. A proper masala chai is made by simmering the spices in water, adding strong CTC (crush-tear-curl) tea leaves, then full-fat milk, and simmering together until the tea deepens in colour and the milk is slightly reduced. Sweetened with jaggery or sugar. The spice blend is personal and regional.

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Serves4
Total20 min
Sourced2of 12 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

1L
whole milk
full-fat
Your own market
20g
Darjeeling black tea leaves
loose
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
10g
fresh ginger
peeled, crushed
Origin · New ZealandPurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
5
green cardamom pods
lightly crushed
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
3
cloves
Your own market
1
black cardamom pod
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
5ml
honey
raw
Origin · New ZealandPurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
3ml
jaggery
grated
Origin · IndiaNot yet stocked in British Columbia
2
cinnamon sticks
3cm pieces
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Pinch saffron threads
bloomed in 15ml warm milk
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Salt
to taste
Your own market
Whole milk or condensed milk
for serving
Your own market

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

II

The Method

1
Bring 1L water to boil in heavy-bottomed pot; add ginger, all cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and black cardamom; simmer 3 minutes.
From the canon — Black cardamom (Amomum subulatum, काली इलायची, badi elaichi) is fundamentally different from green cardamom — it is not an unripe or stronger version of the … Black Cardamom — Smoke and Amomum Character (काली इलायची) →
2
Add Darjeeling tea leaves; steep 3 minutes, then strain through fine sieve into separate pot, pressing solids gently.
3
Return tea to heat; add whole milk and bring to gentle boil, stirring occasionally.
4
Remove from heat; stir in jaggery, honey, bloomed saffron with milk, and pinch of salt.
5
Pour through fine strainer into cups; serve hot with whole milk swirled on top.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where masala chai lives or dies is the ginger — fresh ginger, not powdered, grated into the water before the spices simmer. A generous thumb of fresh ginger (10g per cup) provides a clean, fiery warmth that dried ginger cannot replicate. The ginger heat should arrive 30 seconds after the first sip, warming from the back of the throat.
Pillar V
Cross-cuisine parallels are part of membership.
The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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VI

What to Pour

Pouring for British Columbia ·

The pairing
2023 seven stars VEGA
Township 7 Vineyards & Winery · Naramata Bench
Township 7 Vineyards & Winery · Penticton →
Sparkling wine
From British Columbia

Nothing from British Columbia holds against this yet.

Without alcohol

No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

Why each one works is part of membership — Enter · from $49 a year →

The whole pairing
Pillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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Sourced through Provenance

The hands behind the plate.

Purely Artisan Foods
San Diego · fresh ginger, honey
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