Every family has its own chai. This is a good starting point: strong enough to wake you up, spiced enough to warm you through a Munich winter, and easy to adjust.

For two cups

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup whole milk (3.5% fat works best)
  • 2 heaped teaspoons loose Assam tea or CTC tea
  • 2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • A thin slice of fresh ginger, crushed
  • A small piece of cinnamon (optional)
  • Sugar to taste

Method

  1. Bring the water, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon to a boil and let it simmer for two minutes.
  2. Add the tea leaves and simmer for another minute until the water turns deep red-brown.
  3. Pour in the milk and sugar. Bring it back to a rolling boil and let it rise in the pan, then lower the heat. Repeat twice.
  4. Strain into cups and serve straight away.

The rise-and-fall boil is what makes chai taste like chai. Don’t skip it.

Make it yours

Swap fresh spices for a ready-made chai masala, add a few tulsi leaves in winter, or use oat milk and let it simmer a little less so it doesn’t split. Pair it with rusk, Parle-G or a plate of namkeen.

Find tea, chai masala and biscuits in Tea, Coffee & Milk Drinks.