Cardamom Spiced Kettle Chai

A quick masala chai: Ceylon black steeped with cardamom, ginger and cinnamon, lightly sweetened with honey and a splash of milk.

Cardamom Spiced Kettle Chai

Proper masala chai is simmered slowly in a pan, but on a busy morning this is the version that actually gets made: the spices go straight into the kettle or pot with the tea bags and steep together while you find a mug. Cardamom leads, with ginger and cinnamon behind it, and Ceylon black gives it enough backbone to carry the lot.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Cardamom Spiced Kettle Chai recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/chai tea/cardamom spiced kettle chai/

A spoon of honey and just a splash of milk keep it light rather than creamy, so the spice stays out in front. Strain, and it is ready in under ten minutes.

⏱ 8 min 🍽 Serves 1 📊 Easy 📚 Chai Recipes

You'll need

  • 2 tea bags of Dilmah Premium Ceylon Black
  • 300ml freshly drawn water at 100C, just off the boil
  • 4 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed open
  • 1 thin coin of fresh root ginger, peeled
  • 1 3cm cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon of clear honey
  • 50ml warm whole milk (warmed to 65C)
  • 1 280ml mug, warmed
  • 1 small stovetop kettle (or saucepan with lid)
  • 1 fine sieve for straining

Method

  1. Warm your mug. Drop 2 tea bags, the crushed cardamom pods, the ginger coin and the cinnamon stick into a kettle or small pan.
  2. Pour over 300ml of just boiled water, put the lid on and leave to steep for 5 minutes, on the lowest heat or off the heat entirely.
  3. Stir in the honey.
  4. Warm the milk separately to about 65C.
  5. Strain the chai through a fine sieve into your mug.
  6. Top with the warm milk and drink straight away.
  7. Crack the cardamom pods open before they go in; whole pods barely give up any flavour.
What you'll end up with: A fragrant, lightly milked cup of cardamom chai, spice forward and not too sweet.

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