Spicy Masala Chai

Spicy Masala chai is masala chai with a twist. Do you love drinking chai after eating spicy food? Then this chai is for you. Black tea leaves are simmered in milk and water along with ginger, cardamom, cloves, and green chili. Yes, that’s right! Green chili lends a subtle heat to the chai giving it a kick. Come on now, be adventurous, and give it a try! I promise you’ll love it.

I’m a chai lover and I can’t stand coffee. There you go, I said it! Growing up in a family of ardent South Indian filter coffee lovers, I had to find ways to keep refining my tea skills to enjoy a good cuppa. Appa (my dad) played a huge part in encouraging my experiments with tea. He always enjoyed his afternoon tea and indulged me in my crazy experiments.

My husband Bhargav was my inspiration behind this Spicy Masala Chai. He loves all things spicy and enjoys the sensation of drinking hot chai soon after eating a spicy snack. I added a green chili to our chai one day and he loved it! He’s not a huge fan of tea but would never say no to this Adrak Hari Mirch chai.

Check out other Indian drinks from my blog

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This Spicy Masala Chai

• Will be a hit with anyone who enjoys eating mildly spicy food.
• Is packed with flavors
• Can be made Vegan by using a plant-based milk
• Will be a hit at your party

Ingredients for Spicy Masala Chai

Tea leaves

Using good quality black tea is essential for the tea to taste great! I use Wagh Bakri tea and can vouch for it any day. (Not sponsored, I’ve been using it for years now!)

Milk

I always use non-homogenized whole milk while making tea. If you’re using reduced-fat milk, make sure you reduce the quantity of water and add more milk.

Cardamom and Cloves

The two main flavors of my masala tea always come from Cardamom and Cloves. They compliment each other beautifully.

Ginger

Ginger gives a mellow spicy note to masala chai. Make sure you use organic ginger or the ones from Indian stores. It makes a huge difference in terms of flavor.

Green chili

Here comes the star ingredient. Use one or two depending on how adventurous you are. Do not exceed two.

Step-by-Step Method

In a saucepan heat water.

Once it starts boiling, add crushed cardamom(with peel), crushed cloves, and crushed ginger.

Slit the green chilies and add them to the spice mixture.

Boil for 2 minutes. You should be able to smell the amazing spices by now.

Add tea powder and a teaspoon of sugar. Adding a little sugar when the tea boils, gives a nice flavor to the tea. You can skip the sugar if you want to. Boil for a minute or two.

Take the green chilies out using a spoon or a pair of tongs. This is to be 100% sure that the milk won’t curdle.

Add milk and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Filter the tea into teacups or glasses. Add sugar as desired or feel free to skip it if you usually drink yours sugar-free. I always add a teaspoon of sugar to mine.

Serve it with biscuits or snacks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Masala Chai made of?

Masala chai is usually flavored with cardamon, cloves and ginger. You can pretty much add any spice to make your masala tea. However, I like the combination of cardamom, cloves and ginger along with good quality black tea.

Will my Spicy Masala Chai curdle since there’s ginger and green chili?

No, it will not curdle. I have made this chai a countless times without even removing the green chili before adding milk. However, if you’re not sure, remove the green chili before adding milk. Since we boil the spices in water first before adding milk, the milk will not curdle at all.