Masala Chai Recipe | Delicious Indian Masala Tea just in 3 min

Masala chai is a tea drink prepared from a combination of black tea, milk, spices, and aromatic herbs. The primary origin of this drink is South Asia.

The second most popular drink in the world after water is tea, which also has a special place among us Iranians.

Around the world, tea may be served in different types; one of the most famous teas around the world is masala tea or masala chai, which has an Indian origin and a different color and aroma.

Like Indian food, masala tea also has a lot of aromatic spices, which will tell you the history of this tea in the rest of this article in Cookery Magazine, so stay with us.

Ingredients for making Masala Chai

Milk	2 cups
Cardamom	3 pcs
Powdered Fennel	1 teaspoon
Pepper	8 seeds
Cinnamon stick	1 pc
Clove	4 pcs
Brewed tea	¼ a cup
Honey	1 tablespoon
powdered Ginger	As much as needed
Nutmeg	As much as needed

Recipe for making Masala Chai

The first stage

First, pour the milk into a container and add cardamom, fennel, pepper, cloves, and chopped cinnamon stick to it. Then, place the container on low heat for 30 minutes and stir gently.

The second stage

After that, remove the mixture from the heat and pour the prepared ingredients into the desired glass.

The third stage

In the next step, add the brewed tea to the prepared mixture and pour honey and ginger powder on the drink.

The fourth and finally stage in making masala chai

Finally, grate the nutmeg and add it to your drink. Your masala chai is ready to serve.

Having a journey in the history of Masala Chai

The age of masala chai is based on different narratives that may not be very accurate. It dates back to 5,000 to 9,000 years ago, while others claim that 5,000 years is correct.

The people of India and Thailand believe that this tea was a medicinal drink belonging to one of their ancient kings.

The history of this Indian tea comes from different stories. This chai has been used in Thailand for about 50 years and people are using it.

An interesting thing that you need to know is that the tea plant was a type of plant that grew wild and existed in the Assam region in ancient times.

In India and Southeast Asia, a story goes that a Buddhist monk on his way to China chewed some wild leaves and felt renewed energy.

Some stories attribute the history of the emergence of this tea to the court of kings who lived in present-day India. At the same time, others attribute the origin of this tea to Thailand.

Regardless of all these stories, a king is said to have introduced masala tea as an ayurvedic, purifying, and revitalizing drink.

In ancient science, according to the texts left from that time, this type of tea originated from Ayurveda.

This type of spice is known as Kadha and Kashayam in India, and this is called this combination. This name called this combination is distributed to other countries from Indian spice distribution centers. It is served in restaurants and cafes in all Indian cities.

The history of the origin of this indian tea goes back to the time of the presence of the British in India when, because the price of tea was very high, sellers added milk and spices to tea so that all people could afford it.

Masala means a combination of spices, which is called masala tea because of the use of various spices in tea. Having this chai is one of the best and most enjoyable parts of an Indian tour.

In the 1830s, India was a British monopoly, and England was worried about tea production in China Because China had the largest trade in tea.

As much as anyone in Great Britain at that time, One pound (weight measurement unit) of tea was sold in this country.

The English colonists realized that this plant was precious; for this reason, they started to increase the tea plantations locally and planted a lot of tea in this country.

In addition, dry tea was added to the composition of this indian tea, which dates back to 1835.

Since then, black tea, milk, and other flavorings have been added to the composition of this tea, and people have been using it.

The common people of India preferred to use and enjoy the traditional masala because black tea was very expensive.

In 1870, the most significant amount of tea consumed in England, about 90%, was supplied from China, But in 1916, it decreased to 10%. 

After that, the British tried to get 50% of their tea consumption from India and 33% from Ceylon, Sarandlib, or present-day Sri Lanka.

With all that said, the consumption of tea in India was very small until the time when tea promotion work started in India.

At the beginning of the 20th century, with the start of the advertising campaign, mines, factories and textile mills were motivated to give tea to their workers at their leisure and convenience.

With all these interpretations, sellers and people were trying to sell their tea to travelers coming to their city on the railway lines.

Of course, with all the things that were said, the price of tea in those years was also a very high price, So that’s why the East India Company tried to mix black tea with other elements and tell people that they could use these things, and by doing this, they were able to reduce the price of tea and make it affordable and reasonable for different people in the society.

The greatest extent to which Indian people were interested in using this tea began in the 1960s.

At that time, all the tea sellers and restaurants tried to give tea to people after the food was served, and they considered this tea a sign of hospitality in their homes.

Soon, these small tea stalls became important social meeting points, where men socialized and discussed their daily affairs.

In those years, masala tea became one of the best drinks, especially in winter and cold months; it is interesting to know that the properties of masala cure many diseases.

In some areas, people tried consuming at least 4 small glasses of masala tea daily. In addition, this drink has a very attractive and pleasant taste.

When it is eaten in the morning and in the evening, it can remove fatigue from the body, and that is why Indians use this type of tea in their daily life. This tea among Indian people has a place similar to black tea for Iranians.

All kinds of Indian tea

But it is better to know that this pleasant drink is very versatile and useful. For example, the classic masala tea is the first type of masala that is obtained from a combination of water and masala spices instead of milk.

When did adding milk to masala tea become common?

Tea experts and historians say that the addition of milk to masala tea was probably developed by travelers and traders who came from Bengal and Gujarat because people in these regions had better access to spices and quality milk.

Later, over time, this concoction, which was mostly a breakfast drink after 11 o’clock, became a favorite drink of the people of the world with its popularity in Britain.

The production of CTC tea in the 1960s popularized masala tea and black tea in general among the Indian masses.

As tea became popular in India, it gradually served as a very strong flavoring agent for the sweet, creamy, and spicy taste of masala, to the point that CTC is still India’s go-to masala tea.

Properties of masala tea

Even early on, this tea was prepared with a wide variety of spices and in different ways. Sometimes, it was used as a hot drink and sometimes as a cold drink to treat mild diseases.

At the time, this sweet and spicy drink contained no tea leaves, so it had no caffeine.
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The most important and main effect of this tea is to increase the body temperature and warm it, so it has a very positive effect on diseases that are directly related to cold.

Also, this Indian tea opens sinus congestion (air-filled cavities in the skull and forehead) that cause headaches and sinusitis.

According to the herbal elements used in this tea, it can be said that masala tea is also a therapeutic tea because this herbal tea strengthens the body’s immune system, improves digestion, eliminates skin problems such as acne, and reduces all types of body inflammation and strengthens It becomes the heart and blood vessels.

This good tea is also a strong anti-cancer tea because the ingredients in it destroy the free radicals in the human body that cause cancer; it destroys.

So, we can conclude that masala is a healing and preventive tea for all kinds of diseases.

Specifically, the cinnamon used in this tea is effective in preventing cancer, especially colon cancer.

The ginger used in this tea also strengthens the human immune system, destroys cancer cells, and improves asthma.

Cardamom is also beneficial for the health of the heart, kidneys, and lungs, and at the same time, it is an invigorating substance and has antiseptic properties.

Does masala tea have an effect on weight loss?

This tea is a good choice for weight loss. The first reason for choosing this tea and replacing it with other slimming teas is the incredibly different taste of this drink.

As we said, masala tea is actually a type of milk tea, and it is prepared from a combination of spices such as cloves, star anise, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, etc.

This drink contains a good amount of protein, and the protein in milk helps a lot to feel full.

Therefore, consuming masala tea reduces the possibility of overeating for the rest of the day. You can even choose masala tea as a healthy snack.

Therefore, by consuming masala tea, the possibility of overeating for the rest of the day is reduced.
Also, masala tea helps prevent weight gain and leads to fat reduction in several ways.

What is the reason for choosing “Masala” as name and What are the main spices used in it?

In the beginning, it was used as a medicine, which included a wide range of spices and was prepared in different ways, and it did not contain any tea leaves.

And in fact, the combination of these spices was called Masala, so until now Masala is used to describe a combination of spices.

The main spices used are ginger and cardamom, and then any additional herbs can be added, including cinnamon, star anise, fennel, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, licorice, turmeric, and even saffron. You will also find vanilla in some modern recipes.

How to consume masala tea in high-consumption countries

As the popularity of masala tea increased worldwide, the number of varieties also increased.

For example, in the preparation of Indian masala tea, a type of unrefined local cane sugar called jaggery is usually used to sweeten this tea.

In other places, such as America, it is sweetened with more common sweeteners, such as sugar and honey.

In India and most of the world, this spiced tea is made with black tea (in India, an Assam variety called “mamri” is often used), but in Kashmir, green powder tea is used instead (for its mildly sour taste).

Many American cafes use loose-leaf black tea instead of CTC tea.

The milk in Indian masala tea is usually whole milk. But in other parts of the world, people usually prefer skim milk, soy milk, or other non-dairy options.

Some cafes even use vanilla ice cream to make masala iced tea.

Masala tea is prepared in India and in different countries; But in the Kashmir region, this tea is prepared as black or green tea.

The interesting thing about this tea is that in different parts of the world, the tricks of preparing masala tea are different.

A very interesting thing about this type of tea is that some of the varieties that exist for masala tea are caffeine-free, and instead of black tea, they use red tea, which actually does not have caffeine. You are going to South Africa.

In American cafes, they also use espresso in masala tea.

Conclusion

Thank you for being with us with this delicious and popular drink. If you have any questions, it’s my honor to answer. Enjoy your exploration of Persian cuisine!

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Frequently Asked Questions about Masala Chai