Classic masala chai
Stock standard - this is the base recipe from which any number of variations can be made.
Ingredients
- 1 Cm Fresh ginger per cup
- Black pepper
- Full cream milk
- Water
- Black tea kernels Traditionally CTC tea is used, which looks like tiny balls of tea. If using whole leaf tea, you'll need about double the amount.
Instructions
- For 4 cups: Mash the fresh ginger with a mortar and pestle. Bring 3 cups of water with the ginger to the boil in a small pot or saucepan, and boil for a minute.
- Add one slightly heaped tablespoon of black tea and one cup of milk, and boil until it changes colour to light brown - about a minute or 2. Use a ladle to scoop tea and pour it back into the saucepan, this pouring agitates the tea, slightly lowers the temperature and stops the milk from boiling over or burning on.
- Add a pinch of black pepper, and pour through a sieve into cups. If you want to make more or less, just remember the above ratios.
- Variations include throwing in a cinnamon stick near the beginning with the ginger, adding cardamon, cloves, Chilli, vanilla or anything else really.