Whoever coined the phrase "India runs on Chai" was so right!!
I equally love my tea and coffee - I can have either of them anytime, anywhere.
Although plain milk tea tops my list, fragrant, spicy with that slight zing in every sip evoked by a Masala Chai is no comparison.
I remember carrying a nice, large takeaway glass of Masala Chai from the office Chai Point outlet after a good lunch. During back to back meetings, a sick day or those usual moody noons wherein you are just waiting to get back home and crash on your bed - the humble masala tea always kept me going. And the sight of that Chai wala mixing and pouring it from one glass to another on highways is pure magic, right? As you watch the steam rise from a huge milk vessel simmering away on a gas stove nearby and the first sip wakes you up for a long road trip ahead.
Call me ignorant - but I'm yet to come across a commercial or home brand that does a Masala Chai mix. I've used the one from MDH but somehow it lacked that punch.
So when I noticed a fellow food blogger making a chai masala powder, I quickly went through the list of ingredients, had them readily available and blended them to a fine powder in my Hamilton JMG :)
Although the recipe calls out for a certain quantity of each whole spice ingredient, you can surely play around with the proportions, basis your liking. Increase Cardamom, if you like Elaichi flavours more or pepper for that heaty zing in every sip:) Also do not make huge quantities, since the flavours may die down with long storage. I prefer storing this in an airtight bottle for not more than a month, but it gets over in less than a fortnight since we usually prepare 4 cups of tea every evening.
INGREDIENTS:
12 - Green Cardamom
4 inch Cinnamon stick
3 tbsp - Fennel seeds/Saunf
10 - Cloves
2 tsp - Ginger powder
1 tsp - Nutmeg
3 tsp - Black pepper, whole
PROCEDURE :
Dry roast the whole spices- fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves, the cinnamon stick broken into smaller pieces on a low flame in a pan, until they are fragrant. This should take about 3-4 mins.
Cool this down, transfer to your blender jar, grate nutmeg, add in ginger powder and blitz until the mixture is a smooth, fine masala.
Store in an airtight container, use about 1/2 tsp while making 2 cups (you may adjust basis preference).
Enjoy Masala Chai, safe and healthy from home everyday!!
Follow me on Instagram @spicecharmer and tag me when you make this recipe.
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