Chai masala is an exquisite blend of aromatic spices that adds a unique flavor to Indian tea. A cup of fragrant masala chai is always so warm and comforting!
Chai is not a beverage. It’s the soul and heart of my days. When friends drop by, I brew tea. When the family gets together, I brew even more tea. On a sad day, a cup of tea becomes the cozy embrace I crave. On a tiring day, masala tea is what revives me.
Jump to:
What Is Chai Masala?
Made with a blend of spices that grace every Indian pantry, chai masala adds a unique flavor journey to tea very much worth exploring.
Traditionally, chai masala uses a balance of cloves, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and black peppercorn. But just like mint chutney, each household has a different take on its tea masala.
So, there is no right or wrong way to make it. It all depends upon which direction your tastebuds want to take it.
Why Make Homemade Chai Masala?
Yes, you can buy readymade chai masala, but I feel it never packs the same punch. Freshly grinding the spices gives more depth and aroma that you can never get out of a boxed version.
Besides the guaranteed freshness, you can customize the assortment of spices as per your preference. You can include any spice you adore, or remove the one that doesn’t sit right with you.
I also like to make tea masala because I’m forever adding it to my bakes. See my chai-spiced chocolate truffles, spiced apple cake, masala chai tiramisu, and chocolate cookies with chai spice. The comfort, warmth, and contentment the chai masala brings are unrivaled.
Recipe Ingredients
The seven spices I use to prepare chai masala at home are:
Cloves: This is a very bossy spice that tends to run rampant over other flavors. Grinding it into a powder reduces the sharp tang and adds more depth to tea.
Nutmeg: I call it a chameleon spice because it has more nuances to its flavor than any other. It makes tea sweetly spicy and warmer.
Green cardamom: A truly enlivening spice that has an intense flavor and when eaten raw gives an inimitable taste sensation. Grinding makes it highly aromatic and perfect for bringing fragrant sweetness to the tea.
Cinnamon: The piquant spice has a peculiar balance of sweet and spicy. Adding it to tea makes the flavor subtly sweet and warm.
Ginger powder: A slightly fiery and hot spice that tends to impart a rich woody zest to dishes. It perks up tea with a spicy and warm buzz.
Black pepper: Adding the hot, earthy spice to tea makes it gorgeously pungent.
Fennel seeds: The spice with an aromatic bouquet and a refreshing taste is a unicorn – it’s both warming and cooling.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Homemade Chai Masala?
You take all the spices you want in the masala and grind them into a fine powder. That’s it. It’s that easy to make.
I do like to dry roast the spices for about a minute in a skillet. Let them cool and then grind. It makes the fragrance and flavor of the spices more verdant and intense. But this is an entirely optional step, and if you’re not in the mood for extra effort, please skip it.
How To Use
With chai masala, a little goes a long way. If you’re preparing one cup of black tea, add a quarter teaspoon of the powder. Let it come to a boil and add some milk. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes. Strain, add a sweetener of your choice, and enjoy!
I have a plant or two of holy basil growing in my garden, so I always put 2 or 3 leaves to my morning and 4 pm cuppa. For those who love a gingery taste, grate some fresh ginger in your brew.
You can even make herbal tea with the masala. Simply brew the powder in simmering water for a couple of minutes and serve with a dash of lemon.
It's a great spice mix to have on hand for baking too, see my chai spiced walnut cookies!
Recipe Notes
You can adjust any of the spices based on your taste. I’m not too fond of a very sharp punch to my tea, so I go light on the black pepper.
When it’s winter, I up the amount of cinnamon and ginger as both are warming spices. During summer, when you need a bit of cooling, it’s cardamom and fennel that dominate.
I highly recommend making the spice mixture in small quantities and maintaining its freshness by storing it in an air-tight jar.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Chai Masala
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Fennel seeds / saunf
- 1.5 tbsp Green cardamom / elaichi
- 1 tbsp Cloves / laung
- 1.5 tsp Black pepper / kali mirch
- 1 stick Cinnamon / dalchini
- 1 tsp Ginger powder
- 1 tsp Nutmeg powder/ Jaiphal
Instructions
- Dry roast the fennel sees, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and cinnamon stick ( broken into small pieces) for 1 -2 minutes. Just until they are fragrant.
- Cool the spices and grind them in your coffee/ masala grinder to a fine powder.
- Grate the nutmeg.
- Stir in the ginger and nutmeg powder into the spice mix.
- Mix well and store in an air-tight jar.
- Use 1/4 tsp per cup of masala tea. Enjoy!
Notes
- With chai masala, a little goes a long way. If you’re preparing one cup of tea, add a quarter teaspoon of the powder.
- It's best to make the spice mixture in small quantities and maintain its freshness by storing it in an air-tight jar.
Nutrition
Munirah says
Was absolutely yummy.. took few minutes to make and soo easy! Thank you
Natasha Minocha says
Thanks so much, Munirah! So good to hear this! 🙂
Rashmi Basur says
I always preferred adding just fresh grated ginger in my tea, but when I prepared the chai masala as advised it added a new spicy punch in my tea time.
Thanks for this recipe.
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Rashmi, I love fresh ginger in my tea as well.
Thank you so much for trying this out and sharing your wonderful feedback! xx