12 chai recipes

What does chai mean?

Globally, the meaning of chai has changed. In its original form, chai isn't an Indian word – it's a Chinese word that became chai from the word "tei". In countries where tea traveled from China via sea, it's still called tea, but where it traveled to countries by land, it's now called chai. So, when you go to Russia or Ukraine, they still call every version of tea "chai", but in the west, we think of chai as a milky, sweet, spicy concoction – tea is almost the secondary element. But what we're actually drinking in most cases when we go to these cafés (or what people think of chai) is actually masala chai, which is the Indian version of chai.

What are the origins of masala chai?

The history of drinking spices in India originates in the text of the ayurveda thousands of years ago. The Maharajas – the kings of India – used to drink spices in hot water. It was considered medicinal, but also something that the rich could afford. The way you'd have ayurvedic medicine is the same way you'd have an ayurvedic concoction to drink, and that concoction would have lots of spices, plus some jaggery to sweeten it, in hot water. Adding tea came about much later, in the early 20th century.

In India, they have now mashed the two things together by adopting tea, combining it with that ancient ayurvedic practice of spices and water, and adding milk. Chai may not be Indian in origin, but the drink we now know as chai is very Indian.

Are there different versions of masala chai?

Every region (and even town) in India makes chai differently, as homes will have their own spice blends. For example, there's salty chai in the Himalayan regions and Bhopal (namak wali chai), saffron chai or nagori chai in dairy farmer communities, which is made with thick milk.

What are some common spices found in chai?

Chai spice blends will often include:

• Ginger (may help reduce inflammation), either powdered or freshly grated into the water as it boils
• Crushed cardamom pods
• Cinnamon (whole cinnamon sticks should be crushed to release the aromas)
• Pepper (black or white – white pepper has more heat)
• Nutmeg
• Cloves
• Saffron (a small pinch)

Chai recipes

Chai latte

Infuse black tea and almond milk with fragrant spices for a dairy-free twist on this Indian-inspired drink.

Masala chai

Fill your kitchen with the dreamy spiced aroma of masala chai. Comforting and warm, this drink is the perfect pick-me-up during the winter months.

Karak chai

Make this strong tea with warming spices to wake up your body and kick-start your day. Karak chai can be enjoyed first thing in the morning or with a biscuit for afternoon tea.

Turmeric chai tea

Turmeric is said to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and has been used as a culinary medicine in India for centuries. This chai is simple to make and great for using up leftover turmeric.

Spiced apple dirty chai latte

Enjoy the autumnal flavours of spiced apples in this cosy coffee drink.

Iced chai latte

This Indian-inspired latte is made with darjeeling tea, black pepper, cinnamon and hazelnut milk to create a wonderfully nutty, aromatic complexity.

Chai white russian

Colder autumn months call for the warming spices of chai. We’ve used these flavours to put a twist on a classic white russian to tap into the trend for coffee cocktails.

Mira Manek's ayurvedic kadha chai

Learn about the healing properties of this soothing, traditional ayurvedic mixture of herbs and spices from ayurveda health expert Mira Manek.

Chai-inspired bakes

Spiced chai banana bread

This gently warming banana bread, flavoured with black tea and a masala chai-inspired spice blend, is a wonderful spin on a classic.

Sticky banoffee pudding with chai caramel

These squidgy banoffee puddings are topped with caramelised banana and a delicately spiced chai toffee sauce. Impressive but simple to make, they're ideal for a dinner party.

Chocolate-chai kefir cake

We've added kefir to this glossy, indulgent chocolate and chai-spiced cake to help keep it extra-moist.

Dirty chai ombre cake

Inspired by a dirty chai (a masala chai latte made with a shot of espresso), this showstopping cake boasts layers of chai-infused ganache and chocolate ombre sponge.