Masala Chai, like India, is my passion. So first I went out and learnt how to make the best chai in India by watching Chaiwalas on the streets of Delhi. Then I made it my mission to find the best Chai Masala recipe.
I’m pleased to tell you that after 10 or so attempts trying various recipes, my search has ended! This recipe is the best there is and proof of that came when various family members started asking me to make them batches of it for their homes.
Chai Masala is what gives a great Chai it’s rich, complex flavour. It’s a flavour enhancer. It’s not Masala Chai without Chai Masala.
This recipe gives that typical Delhi Chaiwala cardamom taste, the fennel seeds really add a fantastic flavour I hadn’t experienced before, and the pinch of saffron makes it even more luxurious. This really is the ultimate Chai Masala.
Chai Masala Recipe (Makes 14g)
- 1.5 heaped tbsp (or 37) Green Cardamom Pods
- ½ tbsp Fennel Seeds
- ¼ tbsp Dried Ginger Powder
- ¼ inch Cinnamon Stick
- 4 Black Peppercorns
- 5 pieces of Saffron
- 2 Cloves
- A pinch of Salt
Just dump all these spices into a blender grinder and grind the hell out of them until you get a powder. That’s it!
Now just add a ¼ teaspoon of it per 2 cups of tea, just like how I show in my how to make a masala chai recipe video.
The ingredients list for this recipe came from Chef Ranveer’s Best Chai Masala Powder Recipe (in Hindi) and I tweaked them slightly.
6 replies on “Best Chai Masala Recipe EVER! (Video)”
I loved the way you handled the local angry guy and you Hindi was very useful. I will buy your books Karl to help with my visit after the vaccination.
Karl, do you use Assam tea leaves, Darjeeling tea leaves, or if not one of those, what other species of Black tea do you use to make the base milk-tea? I’ve been trying some green tea leaves to avoid kidney stones, and it makes a milder chai tea. (I also have experimented with almond milk instead of cow’s milk due to lactose intolerance.) Thanks!
Hey Mark. Assam tea leaves are probably my favourite. Darjeeling doesn’t work well with chai – it’s for drinking plain. At home we usually just use Tata Gold tea, it’s popular in India and you can usually find it overseas at Indian stores. Also, Pakistan’s Tapal Danedar is good – it’s got a strong taste which works well in Chai.
Thank you for this recipe and for your Youtube channel! We have many Indian grocers near me in west Omaha. Only 1 had Tata Gold. It’s almost expired but seems to taste fine. They mainly carry Taj Mahal and Red Label by Brooke Bond. By 1/4 inch cinnamon stick, do you mean 1 whole cinnamon stick that is 1/4 inch in diameter? I saw Chef Ranveer use a whole stick. When I tried to chop 1/4 inch off the end of a cinnamon stick, my kitchen began raining cinnamon pieces. 🙂 Also I wonder what size granules of sugar you have. I tried 2 Tablespoons of standard sugar (which is size: fine granulated) in 2 cups tea and I thought wow, maybe you meant 2 teaspoons sugar, or perhaps we could have sugar listed by weight instead of volume if sugar granule size is not standard worldwide. Thank you so much! P.S. When I met the Indian cashier, my brain automatically begged me to say “Namaste dosto”, but alas, I was too shy.
Looks so yummy, I have to try it. What kind of cinnamon do you use? Cassia or the Ceylon type?
Peace!
Hey Alex, I have cassia at the moment. But I should try Ceylon sometime, I know it’s considered better, and it’s even grown in Southern India too.