How to Make Creamy Chai Tea

Last Updated: September 15, 2021 References

Chai means tea in Hindi. Some think that they can't make authentic chai tea, but that's not true! You need to be patient to get all the flavours absorbed in the chai. Traditional chai tea is delicious and makes you feel like you're in a beautiful open-air tea shop in India. Its soothing taste can hypnotize one into deep meditation.

Ingredients

Cream
Black tea
4 thin slices of ginger
Star anise
1 clove
1 cardamom seed
Sugar

Makes one cup of delicious Chai.

Steps

1
Boil water. Take half a cup of water and boil it.^{[1]
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2
Add the tea powder/ bag. Steep the tea in hot water in your teacup.^{[2]
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- Depending upon your preference, add tea powder. A full spoon of powder will make a very strong tea. Half a spoon will be more balanced.
- Choose the kind of tea powder based on its intensity. Some powders are strong while some are not. You mostly have to make teas to find out and to be sure.
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3
Wait till it boils. Keep the heat low and allow it to boil slowly. When the water turns dark, add 1-2 spoonfuls of sugar.^{[3]
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4
Add the spices. Add the ginger, cloves, a small leaf of an entire star anise and cardamom to the tea. Stir well until sugar and the spices dissolve.^{[4]
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- For best results, you can add ground spices so it gets absorbed in the hot tea.
- The ginger also tastes best when it is not too hard and is softened.
- Consider breaking the clove stem and crushing its top as you add it to the tea.
- Pick between the spices if you would like lesser spice.
5
Add cream to the tea and mix. Add cream and bring it to a boil. By the time all the ingredients boil, the water level may decrease a lot if you are making only one cup. You can choose to add a little more water or cream depending upon how you want it to taste.
- You can also add milk if not cream.^{[5]
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6
Sieve and pour the tea. Drink and feel the soothing relaxation calm you down.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I crush the cardamom before adding it?

Community Answer

It is not necessary to crush it, but doing so will enhance the flavor and aroma.
Question

What about if I'm using a chai teabag?

Community Answer

When using a tea bag, just let it set in the cup of hot water until it darkens, then remove the tea bag and follow the rest of the steps.
Question

Is it compulsory to add cream?

Community Answer

You can add milk or any milk substitute, or condensed milk if you leave out the sugar, or you can even just drink it without adding anything else. It won't be creamy if you do any of these, though.

Warnings

Make sure your hands are dry and not oily. If any drop of water from your hands drops in the tea, it may curdled the tea.

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Do not drink more than a cup a day. All the spices can fasten digestion and give a stomach upset.

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