Homemade Chai Masala or Tea Masala is an aromatic blend of whole spices that makes Indian tea flavorful. Add this to your Masala Chai to make the perfect fragrant tea.
I love to start my morning with a cup of kadak chai (strong tea). It is a tradition, a culture to have tea first thing in the morning in most parts of India.
Similar to the Garam Masala spice blend, every home has their own secret recipe to make chai and chai masala. All include the same ingredients – milk, sugar, and tea leaves. Some enjoy Ginger Tea with lots of ginger, some Cardamom Tea with green cardamom pods, and some Masala Chai, which has chai masala, a blend of whole spices added to it.
My favorite is Masala Chai. To enjoy a perfect Masala Chai, you definitely need a good Chai Masala Powder recipe. So here is the detailed recipe for the best homemade tea masala.
I like to make Chai Masala, store it in an airtight container, and add a little to my tea. However, it is best not to make too much chai masala at once. Having freshly made chai masala definitely enhances the flavor. I like to just make enough to use it up in a couple of weeks. It is very easy to make and hardly takes any time. This is also the reason I prefer not to buy chai masala from the store.
Add some fresh ginger and some chai masala, and there, you have the perfect cup of tea!
What is Chai Masala?
Chai ka Masala is an Indian blend of whole spices, fennel seeds, and ginger powder, which, added to Indian tea, makes it much more flavorful. It adds a very unique flavor to the tea and also enhances the health benefits with the warming whole spices.
What are ingredients for Chai masala?
Here are the ingredients I usually add to Chai Masala and the benefits they provide:
- Cloves (Laung): Cloves have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. They add depth and an earthy tone to the chai.
- Green Cardamom (Elaichi): Cardamom has antioxidants and cancer-fighting compounds. It adds fragrance and subtle sweetness to chai.
- Black Peppercorns (Kali Mirch): Black peppers have anti-inflammatory properties, helps with digestion and nutrient absorption. They add a little spice kick to the chai.
- Fennel seeds (Saunf): Fennel helps with healthy digestion and have a calming effect. They add a cooling subtle taste to tea.
- Cinnamon (Dalchini): Cinnamon has powerful medicinal properties such as lowering risk of diabetes, regulating blood sugar, and many more. It adds natural sweetness and warmth to tea.
- Dried Ginger Powder (Sonth): Ginger helps reduce inflammation and improves digestion and immunity against flu & cold. It adds a subtle spice kick and warmth to chai.
- Nutmeg (Jaiphal): Nutmeg has the ability to relieve pain and improve indigestion and blood circulation. It adds a slightly sweet as well as warm flavor to the chai.
I did not add dry rose petals or tulsi (holy basil) to the chai masala. But if you have them available, you can add those too. You can also add tulsi while making chai.
How to make Chai Masala Powder?
Mix all the chai masala ingredients (except nutmeg) in a blender and blend to make a coarse powder. Grate nutmeg using a fine grater.
Store the chai masala in an airtight container, and always use a clean, dry spoon when using it.
How to use Chai Masala?
Add 1/4 tsp of masala per cup of masala tea. You can also add ginger and tulsi leaves along with this masala when preparing Masala chai.
Enjoy this easy homemade Chai Masala to make your everyday tea!
Chai Masala Powder Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Cloves (Laung)
- 1/4 cup Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
- 1/4 cup Black Peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
- 6 inch Cinnamon (Dalchini)
- 2 tablespoon Ginger powder
- 1 Nutmeg , grated
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients (except Nutmeg) in a blender and blend to make a coarse powder. Grate the nutmeg in the powder.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a month.
- Use 1/4 tsp of this powder for each cup of Indian masala chai.
Hello thanks for your article I love chai actually have thought of sourcing my own ingredients as finding a good strong Marsala is difficult and costly. Do you have a suggestion for where to find quality organic if possible bulk spices???
Hi William – I usually get the spices from the Indian grocery store as I find they have fresh stock due to the higher sales, and they are usually cheaper than online sources. Many Indian stores also have organic options now.
If I separated the spice into tea bags how long would they keep? Or should I stick with transferring when ready.
Hi, you can store the chai masala up to a month. It will stay even longer, but will reduce in freshness and flavor.
Thank you for the recipe! can you please tell me, should I take the shells off of the cardamom pods?
Hi Amber – No need to take the shells off, you can use the whole cardamom pod as is. Enjoy the chai!
good idea
This is a delicious homemade masala mix recipe for chai. It’s the incredible combination of spices in the chai I loved having every morning when staying with family in Mumbai. It’s not exactly easy but so worth the initial effort. It took a bit of work to grind the spices. However, if you grind and mix a good amount of the spice blend it can be used for a few weeks, if the spices used for grinding are fresh, and the spice blend is well sealed. The tea leaves, of course, should also be fresh with a robust aroma. To recreate my family’s masala chai I used Half & Half instead of regular milk. If you love a really authentic Indian masala chai experience, try this recipe.
Hi – I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed the homemade masala chai mix!
Wonderful, really enjoyed this spice blend.
Hi Ambica – That’s great to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Hi,
I like masala tea. I’m going to try this recipe.
Thank you for shairing.
Esha.