How to Make Iced Chai Tea

Chai tea is popular outside of India, too.

Chai tea is a type of tea preparation that contains black tea, a mixture of fragrant spices, milk and a sweetener. It is known as 'masala chai' in India, which means 'spiced tea' in Hindi, and is a drink common to the Asian subcontinent. However, chai tea has also become popular in other countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, where you can find it in its original hot form, buy it in ready-made tea bags and sip it as a latte or enjoy it as an iced drink.

Things You'll Need

• Indian spices, such as green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, black peppercorns, fresh ginger root, etc.
• Mortar and pestle
• Cup, teaspoon and tablespoon measures
• Cooking pot
• Spoon
• Two cups of water
• Two cups of whole milk
• 5 tsp. loose leaf black tea
• 3 tbsp. white sugar
• Fine mesh strainer
• Heat-resistant pitcher
• Ice cubes
• Glasses

Instructions

1. Crush the spices into smaller pieces, with the exception of the chopped ginger root if using, but do not powder them. You can do this with a mortar and pestle or using a piece of plastic film and a rolling pin. Put all the crushed spices in a pot.

2. Add two cups of water and two cups of whole milk to the cooking pot. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to boil and then reduce heat to low. Continue cooking for four or five more minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in five teaspoons of loose-leaf black tea and three tablespoons of white sugar. Cook for one or two more minutes. Turn off the heat and take the cooking pot off the burner.

3. Immediately strain the hot tea into a heat-resistant pitcher using a fine mesh strainer. Discard the spices.

4. Add two handfuls of ice cubes to the pitcher and serve immediately. Otherwise, if you want to serve the tea in individual glasses, put two or three ice cubes into each glass and then pour the tea on top.

Tips & Warnings

• Common spices for masala chai include green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and freshly chopped ginger root, though some people do add spices like black peppercorns, almonds, nutmeg or even fennel seed. This is largely based on regional preference.

• Use a loose leaf black tea variety of your choice like Darjeeling or Ceylon.

• To vary the recipe, you can use brown sugar or honey instead of the white sugar, or continue experimenting with different spices.

References

• Chai Tea: What Is Chai?
• "Savoring India: Recipes and Reflections on Indian Cooking"; Julie Sahni; 2001
• Food Network: Chai Tea