How to make a good chai at home

Serves: 2 cups

Time: ~15 minutes
Mood: Comforting, cozy, and meant to be shared

🛒 Ingredients

• 1 inch fresh organic ginger root
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 2 cups water
• 1–2 teaspoons sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1 tablespoon loose leaf tea (Lipton Yellow Label or Taj Mahal preferred)
• ½ cup whole milk (or any milk of your choice)

🛍️ Before You Start

Make a quick stop at your local Indian grocery store for:

• Cardamom pods
• Loose leaf tea (Not tea bags—double check the label!)

Also, keep fresh organic ginger root handy in your kitchen. It’s your chai’s best friend.

🍵 Instructions

• Crush the Ginger
  In a mortar and pestle, crush:
  • 1 inch of ginger
    This unlocks all the warm, healing flavors that make chai special.
• Boil the Base
  In a saucepan, add:
  • 2 cups of water
  • Crushed ginger
  • 1–2 teaspoons of sugar (adjust to your sweetness level)
    Boil on high heat for about 10 minutes, allowing the water to reduce by about ½ cup.
• Add the Tea
  Lower the heat and add:
  • 1 tablespoon of loose leaf tea
    Let it steep gently for 30 seconds.
• Add Milk and Cardamom
  Now pour in:
  • ½ cup of milk
  • 2 lightly crushed cardamom pods
    Let everything cook together on low heat for about 1 minute, just until it gently bubbles.
• Strain and Serve
  Strain into two medium-sized cups and serve warm.

❤️ Pro Tip: Always Make Two Cups

Even when you’re alone, make two. Chai is a shared experience. When my wife isn’t around, I still make both cups—it just feels better. Chai tastes best with someone, even if that someone is your future self.

📌 Tags

#howtomakechai #krishnabhaskar #chairecipe #everydaychai #chaiwithlove