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