Chai Masala

Name: Chai Masala
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 8 min
Yield: 22 servings
Cuisine: Indian, Gujarat
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Green cardamom pods; 1 tsp Cloves; 2 tsp Black peppercorns; 2 Cinnamon sticks, 2 inch each; 1 tsp Fennel seeds; ¼ Nutmeg; 3 tbsp Dry ginger powder (sonth)

Warming cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove and black pepper, ground together so a pinch turns plain milky tea into roadside masala chai.

Prep 5 min · Cook 3 min · Total 8 min + 15 min cooling · Serves 22

Ingredients

Whole spices

2 tbsp Green cardamom pods
1 tsp Cloves
2 tsp Black peppercorns
2 Cinnamon sticks, 2 inch each
1 tsp Fennel seeds
¼ Nutmeg

Powders

3 tbsp Dry ginger powder (sonth)

Method

Warm the spices. Warm the cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, broken cinnamon and fennel in a dry pan over the lowest heat for 1 to 2 minutes, just until they smell fragrant. Chai masala is barely roasted, so the spices stay sweet rather than toasty.
Cool. Tip onto a plate with the nutmeg and leave until completely cold.
Grind. Grind to a fine powder in short pulses, cardamom pods and all. Add the ginger powder and pulse to mix.
Sieve. Sieve through a tea strainer. The leftover coarse husks are perfect simmered straight into the next pan of tea.
Store. Keep in a small airtight jar. The cardamom is brightest for the first month; use within 3 months.

Tips

Use 1/4 tsp per cup: boil it with the water and tea leaves for a minute before adding milk and sugar. It is also good in hot chocolate, porridge, kheer and banana bread.