Masala Chai

Masala Chai is a black tea brewed with spices and milk which has a rich flavour and beautiful aromatic scent. I first tried it when visiting Bombay, where it is sold by chai wallas, street vendors walking round with a bucket of the stuff charging a few pence per cup. The hygiene arrangements of these street sellers are dubious, but one thing for sure is that they make some very tasty tea. This is my version of Masala Chai. Make sure you don't skip the sugar as it really amplifies the flavours, this recipe is not too sweet. If you like a really sweet cup of tea double the amount of sugar you use. You can use loose leaf black tea instead of teabags if you have it.

Ingredients

500ml boiling water

2 teabags (barrys tea works well)

6 slices fresh ginger, no need to peel

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

6 Cardamom Pods

1 cinnamon stick

3 cloves

25g white sugar (about 4 teaspoons)

250ml full fat milk

Prep Time: n/a

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2 people (makes about 2 cups)

Instructions

1. Bring a pot with 500ml of water to a boil

2. Add the ginger, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves and teabags

3. Simmer for about 10 minutes

4. Add the milk and sugar, turn up the heat to bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for a further 10 minutes

5. Strain the tea to remove the whole spices and tea bags

6. Serve and enjoy

The whole spices added

Brewing with the teabags in

Brewing with the milk