Make Your Tea (Chai) Tastier Than Tasty
What is Masala Chai?
Masala Chai is a milk tea flavored with spices. It is a more fragrant and spiced version of English milk tea. Masala Chai is perfect for colder days and for curing anything from a runny nose to a broken heart. It is a widely popular drink in the Indian sub-continent.
Chai or tea isn’t just another beverage in the subcontinent. Instead, it’s an emotion and something that one can share memories, good weather, and gossip over. Masala chai is high on flavor and has a lot of medicinal benefits, as well.
Masala Tea Benefits :
Masala tea is unarguably delicious, but it also boasts of several benefits apart from the taste, which gives you one more reason to get another cuppa.
- Reduces inflammation – Ginger present in the tea masala is effective in reducing inflammation in the body. Inflammation is the underlying cause of most diseases
- Balances hormones – Cinnamon and cloves in the tea masala help women balance their hormones, promote insulin absorption and help balance blood sugars
- Better digestion – A hot cup of tea may help your food digest better and aid in reducing bloating and weight loss as well
- Clears the sinuses – For those with a blocked nose or annoyingly plugged masala passage, a steaming hot cup of masala chai may help hear out block sinuses and relieve discomfort
- Instant mood upliftment – Needless to say, tea instantly energizes you a gives you fresh start regardless of what time of day you drink it
What is Masala Tea Made Of?
You need these 4 ingredients to make a perfect cup of masala tea:
Water
Chai Masala
Tea Leaves (chai patti)
Sugar (Optional)
Milk
Chai Masala Recipe…
Chai Masala is super simple to make at home and can be easily stored at room temperature for a year. It is a blend of – green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns, dry ginger powder, and nutmeg.
All you need to do is dry roast the whole spices in a cast-iron skillet till the aroma is released. Next, grind them to a powder, mix ginger powder, and your tea masala is ready to use.
A dash of masala tea powder can be used in cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake, or gingerbread cake. Instead of opening different jars of spices, it is always easy to add a teaspoon of chai masala to flavor the dish.
How do you make tasty tea at home?
While most people know how to make tea, here are some basic tips on how one can make tea tastier:
Always, correctly measure the water for making the tea. If you are making 2 cups of tea, then use exactly 2 cups of water.
Let the spice mix boil for 10 – 20 seconds to flavor the water. Without this step, your tea will not get enough of the magic from the chai masala.
Don’t add too much of the tea leaves, it will only make your tea bitter. A teaspoon of strong tea leaves is enough for making 2 cups of tea.
Avoid boiling water for too long after adding tea leaves and sugar. Another 10 – 20 seconds is enough. Stir once or twice with a spoon.
Don’t add too much milk – While milk aids in flavoring tea, too much of it makes the drink too thick and milky. For 2 cups of tea, half a cup of full cream or toned milk is sufficient.
Allow the tea to simmer over low heat for a few seconds to get the excellent color and taste. At this stage, you can taste the tea and add more sugar or milk, if required.