One of the national beverages of India, chai—often called masala chai—is simply sweetened tea with milk and spices. Which spices? Ah, there’s the question. I like a simple, minimal mix; other people use complicated spice mixtures; many would eliminate the fennel and use a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, and ginger.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
5 tablespoons black tea, preferably Assam
4 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
About 1/3 cup whole milk
5 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
Pinch of black pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Brew the tea as usual, using 1 quart hot water and allowing to steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Strain. This may be done as far in advance as you like.
Step 2
Reheat the tea slowly and over low heat with the remaining ingredients. When it is very hot, strain again; taste and adjust the seasoning and serve immediately.
The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.
MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
