Homemade Chai Masala or Tea Masala is an aromatic blend of whole spices which 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, 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 I share the detailed recipe to make the best homemade tea masala.
I like to make Chai Masala and store it in an air tight container and add a little to my tea. However it is best to not 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 to not buy chai masala from the store.
Add some fresh ginger, some chai masala and there you have the perfect cup of tea!
What is Chai Masala?
Chai ka Masala is a 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, 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 ¼ 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
- ¼ cup Cloves (Laung)
- ¼ cup Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
- ¼ 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 ¼ tsp of this powder for each cup of Indian masala chai.
Notes
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Liz says
We made a big batch of this last year and are about to make some more. So delicious - especially when you follow the instructions to brew the tea (also found on this site).
Question about grinding all of your ingredients - we don't have a blender so ground everything by hand using a microplane, but the cinnamon stick dulled it completely! What kind of blender are you using? do you need to sharpen your blades often?
Meeta Arora says
Hi Liz - so glad that you are planning to make the chai masala again. I use a spice grinder to make this chai masala. Here is an aff link to it - https://amzn.to/3UmuLP8
Mahesh says
Thanks for sharing this and your Pakora recipes.
I will be trying these out.
Reminds me of my late mother who had a lively kitchen preparing all these delicious foods and snacks.
Rachel says
hi what can i do if i do not get nutmeg ?
Is there any ingredient that can be replaced for nutmeg
Meeta Arora says
Hi Rachel, it is okay. You can skip nutmeg too, and the chai masala will still be good. Just as a tip - I have seen nutmeg powder at Trader joes if you have one nearby.
irfan says
great taste
Piping Pot Curry says
Hi Irfan - Thank you 🙂
Mira says
Is this tea masala strong and spicy as thats how i like mine
Meeta Arora says
Hi Mira - yes, I do believe it has a nice strong flavor. Hope you enjoy it!
Sarah says
Eager to try this recipe! A few questions though:
1) When you say 1/4 cup green cardamom, is that including the husks, or is it 1/4 cup cardamom seeds. If the husks are included, are they ground up into the mix?
2) Is it possible to use powered cinnamon instead of a 6" cinnamon stick? If so, how much powered cinnamon is equivalent to a 6" cinnamon stick?
Meeta Arora says
Hi Sarah - Sure, the 1/4 cup is for the cardamom pods (including the husk). You can grind with the husk.
For the cinnamon, I see that 1 stick cinnamon is usually translated to 1/2 teaspoon powdered. So I would say go for 2 teaspoon initially, and then add more to your taste.