Name: Karak chai
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: Makes 1 large mug or two smaller glasses
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 200ml full-fat milk; 2 tsp sugar, more or less to your taste; ¼ tsp ground ginger; ¼ tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp ground cardamom; ¼ tsp finely ground black pepper; pinch of ground nutmeg; 1 tea bag, assam or english breakfast; 2 tbsp single cream (optional)

Two mugs of karak chai on a plate with cinnamon sticks and a bowl of cardamom pods

200ml full-fat milk
2 tsp sugar
more or less to your taste
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp finely ground black pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 tea bag
assam or english breakfast
2 tbsp single cream
(optional)

Method

step 1
Pour the milk and 200ml of water into a pan, and warm over a gentle heat until it just starts to simmer. Add the sugar and spices, then whisk gently to mix well.
step 2
Add the teabag and keep stirring or whisking gently until the milk starts to thicken ever so slightly. You need to keep an eye on it the whole time, otherwise the milk may boil over. The darker the colour, the more ‘karak’ (or strong) your chai will be, so do remove the teabag to suit your preference.
step 3
Just as the milk starts to rise a little in the pan, turn off the heat and stir in the cream, if using, for a creamier texture. Keep stirring as the chai cools to prevent a skin forming, then pour into a large mug or two glasses. Slurp it while it’s hot!