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Milk– Use whole milk or 2% or even non-fat depending on your taste. You can also use almond or oat milk.
We prefer steeping first in water alone because we find it makes a stronger infusion than adding the milk too soon. Chai is pronounced "Cha" in my house, which is a Gujarati word, and it's made a countless number of times. Growing up, I felt like I was a barista in my own house! No Joke, I made cha all day long it seemed. Perhaps, that's why my recipe has been perfected throughout the years. I think my Mom had a total of 5 cha pots at any one given time.I definitely do not think that the chai will keep well in growlers. It would certainly have to be refrigerated to prevent spoilage. Also, having refrigerated the chai and reheated it in the past, the flavors change quite a bit (and, at least to me, not in the best way). If you’d like to give it as I gift, I suggest making small jars of the chai masala, putting a little card in with the chai recipe (and a link to the blog, please!), and to make it pretty, perhaps tying a piece of fresh or dried ginger and some fresh or dried lemongrass stalks in a decorative way.
Milk - I use whole milk for my chai and my water to milk ratio is higher because of that. If you are using 2% milk, I would add more milk and less water or else your chai may end up watery. Feel free to add whatever sweetener you like. In India, they use an unrefined sugar, called jaggery. Maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, coconut sugar, stevia, any sugar substitute, or even condensed milk all work great. Our chai pots are vital to your chai making set up! They are perfect for brewing your chai traditionally on the stove so that you can show off your new chai skills! Chai brewed on the stovetop gives you a more deeper, spicier brew, as you are literally cooking the tea and spices in with the water and milk. Whilst it may seem like a lot of extra effort, you can actually make a delicious chai in under 5 minutes (about a long as it takes to boil the kettle and brew a cup of tea using a teabag). Our inspired version begins by lightly crushing the spices in a mortar and pestle (or a cutting board and heavy pan will do!). Add the spices once the tea leaves and water have boiled, for the flavors to stay fresh and not be boiled away.Sugar - regular granulated sugar is commonly used to sweeten chai. You can use brown sugar or jaggery as well.
Okay, as much as I love taking shortcuts I do not recommend this. It just doesn't have the same flavor as you would get when the ingredients are boiled together in a pot. So, can you make it-yes. Do I recommend it, no. Can Chai be used to treat illness? I have a friend who opened a cyber cafe in India, in 2000. I was very impressed with the facility. It consisted of cubicles with a chai vendor. The "chaiwala" as we called him came around to ask if you wanted a cup of chai. It was more like a "shot" of chai but I can't tell you how tasty that shot was! Hi Tanvi Thank you so much for sharing this family recipe! I went to Bollywood in Portland and had the best chai ever…and have been on a mission to find just what I love best. The first time my daughter and I made the tea and with great anticipation and in fact, squeals of excitement…and upon taking our first sips, ran together to the sink to spew it out. It made for great laughs. BUT the second try, we followed the directions carefully and are IN LOVE!!! This is even better than Bollywood! Loose leaf or tea bags? Loose leaf tea will be stronger and usually higher it quality than tea in bags. But tea bags are easy to work with. So, it's really up to you.
📖 Recipe
You will find street vendors everywhere simmering a large pot of tea. You will hear the popular term in Mumbai “ cutting chai“, which just means half a cup of tea. You might find it interesting that people have chai multiple times in a day, however the quantity they drink is very less, just a few sips. Masala chai is a creamy, spiced tea that’s most popular in India but is increasingly enjoyed around the world. The primary difference between chai and masala chai is that masala chai includes spices, while chai is simply tea and milk. I am thinking about gettting growler jars with the final product, milk and all to give as gifts. Would it keep for a week or two?
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