How to Make Proper Stovetop Chai
How to make proper stovetop chai: tea and fresh spices simmered in milk, the authentic Indian way.
Real chai is not a teabag in hot water; it is brewed on the stove, with the tea and spices simmered right in the milk so everything mingles. Using a Classic Chai bag as the base, you add a couple of crushed cardamom pods and a coin of fresh ginger to lift it from a flavoured tea into something that tastes properly homemade. Keep it at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil, and sweeten it at the end with a little honey.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the How to Make Proper Stovetop Chai recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/chai tea/how to make proper stovetop chai/
You'll need
- 1 tea bag of Yogi Tea Organic Classic Chai
- 150ml freshly drawn water at 100C, just off the boil
- 150ml whole milk
- 2 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed open
- 1 thin coin of fresh root ginger, peeled
- 1 teaspoon of clear honey
- 1 280ml mug, warmed
- 1 small saucepan with lid
- 1 fine sieve for straining
Method
- Pour the water and milk into a small saucepan.
- Drop in the tea bag, the crushed cardamom pods and the ginger coin.
- Bring to a slow, gentle simmer over medium heat for five minutes; do not let it boil hard or the milk will catch.
- Take off the heat and stir in the honey.
- Strain through a fine sieve into a warmed mug.
- Tip: for a stronger, spicier cup, simmer a couple of minutes longer or add an extra cardamom pod.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Yogi Tea Organic Classic Chai, 17 Tea Bags 37.4g
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