Snack · 15 min · indian

Masala Chai

This is the kind of Indian snack you’ll make on repeat — assam tea leaves and whole milk, 15 minutes, big payoff. It is weeknight cooking that still hits your targets — 4 grams of protein per serving. Leftovers keep well, so it doubles as next-day lunch without any extra work.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Assam tea leaves
• 2 cups Whole milk
• 2 cups Water
• 4 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Fresh ginger
• 4 pods Green cardamom
• 4 Cloves
• 1 stick Cinnamon

Steps

1. Crush the cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon coarse — cracked spices release flavor fast; whole ones just float politely.
2. Simmer the spices and grated ginger in the water 4 minutes until the kitchen smells like a spice market.
3. Add the tea leaves and boil hard 2 minutes; the liquor should turn deep amber and look almost too strong.
4. Pour in the milk and sugar; bring back to a rolling boil, then pull it just off the boil — repeat the rise-and-rest twice for the classic kadak body.
5. Strain into cups, aerating with a high pour; the foam on top is the mark of a well-pulled chai.
6. Serve scalding hot, ideally with something fried or dunkable alongside.
7. Leftover chai reheats fine, but the foam never comes back — drink it fresh.

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