Recipe: Masala chai by Dishoom

Thanks to being in quarantine, I have finally found a masala chai recipe that I can swear by. This recipe is adapted from the Dishoom cookbook to make one single serving instead of four, as per the original recipe.

To make authentic masala chai, use whole spices wherever possible. I also prefer the flavor of loose leaf over tea bags, so get hold of black tea leaves if you can.

The tea that I’m using is Society Masala Tea. It is easily available here in the UAE and you can order it online by clicking here.

Masala Chai for one

This recipe is inspired by the Masala Chai recipe in the Dishoom cookbook

0.5 tbsp loose tea leaves (i use society masala tea)
1 tsp grated ginger (you can adjust this according to your taste)
1/2 tsp black peppercorns (whole)
3 whole cardamom pods
1 whole cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
0.5 or 1 tbsp sugar (to taste)
125 ml milk
250 ml water

Put the tea, ginger, and spices into a saucepan. Pour 250ml of boiling water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until you can smell the spices, about 10 minutes.
Add the sugar and milk, turn up the heat and bring to boil. Allow 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. A skin will form, but this is strained off at the end.
Taste to see if the chai is to your liking. Boil a little more if you wish for a stronger flavour.
Strain, discard the solids, and serve immediately.