Garam Chai or 'Masala Chai' (Hot tea latte) recipe

Chai is Indian tea made with milk. Garam or Masala Chai is a tea brewed with spices sugar and milk

Chai is Indian version of Hot tea latte. As a child, I remember hawkers yelling 'Garam Chai' and 'Samosa' at every railway station in India. Chai was sold in a ½ pint size disposable earthen (terracotta) tumblers called 'Kulhar'. The main ingredients of all Chai are Black tea, Milk, Sugar, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger and Green Cardamom pods. Other ingredients are optional. Garam Chai is also called Masala Chai. Normally, one would add fresh ginger. I have chosen to add dried ginger powder.

Ingredients

1. Water: 2 Cups

2. Whole Milk: 4 Cups
3. Sugar: ¼ Cup
4. Cinnamon stick broken up: 1 Inch
5. Cloves: 6 whole
6. Green Cardamom pods cracked open: 6
7. Whole Black peppercorns: 6
8. Ginger powder: ½ teaspoon 
9. Fennel seeds: 1 teaspoon 
10. Tea bags: 3
11. Ground Nutmeg: Pinch

Half n' Half

Method

1. Add all ingredients except the teabags to a pot. Bring it to a boil.

2. Turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add teabags. Continue simmering for 10 minutes

4. Turn off heat. Let it cool. Remove tea bags.

5. Don't remove the spices. Put in a nice jar and tighten the lid. Store in the refrigerator.

Serving

 Strain the tea mixture before serving. To serve add ¼ cup Half 'n Half cream to ¾ cup of strained tea mixture. Heat in microwave and serve. It should stay fresh for about one week when refrigerated.

NOTES

i) In the older days, Mulatthi (Ground Dried Licorice Root) was added along with other spices. I have omitted it. To my taste, it gets overpowering

ii) In the villages, Garam Chai had a slightly different flavor. They did not use sugar. They used Grated Sugar-cane Jaggery

iii) Nowadays, it is becoming fashionable in upscale restaurants to substitute sugar with honey

iv) Some restaurants will add Vanilla flavor. They would split the vanilla bean and add it to the concoction being cooked. The brown seeds remain attached to the pod. Add the Vanilla bean during the last 3 minutes of cooking.

v) To make the Garam Chai rich and creamier, add Heavy whipping cream during last five minutes of cooking.

vi) In India, Malai is normally added to the Garam Chai. I have chose to add Half 'n Half

vii) Normally, fresh chopped ginger is used. I have used dried ginger powder

viii) Normally, Nutmeg is freshly grated in the mixture. I have chosen to use ground Nutmeg.