Masala Chai Recipe - Authentic Indian Spiced Tea (5 Minutes)

Why This Recipe Works

Chai is not a trend. Chai is a way of life. In India, over a billion cups are consumed every single day — at roadside stalls, in offices, at home, at every celebration, every heartbreak, every conversation. "Masala chai recipe" is one of the most consistently searched food terms globally, and in the UK, the wellness movement has pushed it even further: anti-inflammatory spices, gut-soothing ginger, warming cardamom — chai ticks every 2026 wellness box without trying. But here's the thing: what most UK cafés sell as "chai latte" is a milky, sweet, spice-flavoured drink that bears almost no resemblance to real Indian masala chai. Real chai is boiled, not steeped. It's strong, not diluted. The tea, milk, water, and spices all cook together in the same pan, fusing into something that no amount of teabag-steeping can replicate.

At Pick N Save, our tea aisle is one of the most visited sections of the store — and for good reason. We stock over 20 tea and chai products: Wagh Bakri Premium Black Tea (the gold standard for chai in Indian households), Wagh Bakri Masala Tea (pre-blended with spices), Royal Chai in 8 variants (Karak, Masala, Cardamom — sweetened and unsweetened), Unik Chai in 6 variants (Masala, Cardamom, Badshahi, Ginger — sweetened and unsweetened), Classichai Masala Sweetened, Safari Pure Tea, and Prime Premium Kenya Tea. We've been the chai supplier for Harrow's Indian community since 1999 — and the honest truth is that for everyday chai, the instant mixes (Royal Chai Karak, Unik Masala) are excellent. But for that special, aromatic, from-scratch masala chai that fills your entire house with the smell of cardamom and ginger — this recipe is the one.

Step-by-Step Method

Step 1: Crush the Spices (30 Seconds)

Take 4 green cardamom pods (TFS Green Cardamom Jumbo 50g) and crack them open by pressing firmly with the flat side of a knife or the back of a spoon — you want the pods split so the aromatic black seeds inside are exposed, not crushed to powder. Slice a 2cm piece of fresh ginger (Fresh Ginger Loose 500g) into thin coins — don't bother peeling, just wash and slice. Break a small piece of cinnamon stick, about 3cm long (TFS Cinnamon Sticks Dalchini 100g), in half. Take 3–4 whole cloves. That's your spice blend. The fresh ginger is the most important — it provides the warmth and bite that defines great chai. Dried ginger powder works but produces a completely different, less vibrant flavour.

Step 2: Boil Water with Spices and Tea (3 Minutes)

Add 2 cups (500ml) of cold water to a saucepan. Add all the crushed spices — cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, add 3 teaspoons of strong loose black tea (Wagh Bakri Premium Black Tea 1kg — or any strong Assam or CTC tea) or 3 regular tea bags. Reduce the heat to medium and let the tea simmer with the spices for 2 minutes. The water should turn a deep, dark reddish-brown — this is the strong base that gives chai its body. If you're using Wagh Bakri Masala Tea 100s (pre-blended tea bags with masala), you can skip the whole spices entirely — the bags already contain the spice blend. Use 3 bags for 4 cups.

Step 3: Add Milk and Boil Together (2 Minutes)

Add 2 cups (500ml) of whole milk (Freshways Whole Milk 2L — full-fat is essential for authentic chai, the fat carries the spice flavours and gives that creamy body). Increase the heat and bring the chai to a full, rolling boil — you'll see it rise in the pan as the milk foams. The moment it rises to the top and threatens to spill over, reduce the heat immediately. Let it settle, then bring it to the boil again. Repeat this rise-and-settle cycle 2–3 times — this is the traditional technique that concentrates the flavour and gives chai its characteristic richness. Each boil extracts more flavour from the tea and spices.

Step 4: Sweeten

Add 3–4 teaspoons of sugar (Tate & Lyle Sugar Granulated 1kg) — or adjust to your taste. Traditional Indian chai is noticeably sweet — the sugar balances the bitterness of the strong tea and the heat of the ginger. Stir well. For a deeper, more complex sweetness, use jaggery (Fudco Desi Gur 900g or Shankar Jaggery Powder 1kg) instead of white sugar — jaggery chai is a winter speciality across North India and adds a gorgeous caramel undertone.

Step 5: Strain and Pour

Strain the chai through a fine tea strainer into cups — this catches the tea leaves, ginger slices, cardamom pods, and cinnamon. For the authentic chai-wallah experience: pour from a height. Hold the strainer over the cup and pour the chai from 30cm above — the stream of falling chai aerates the liquid, creates a frothy top, and releases the aroma spectacularly. This pouring technique isn't showmanship — it genuinely improves the texture and flavour of the chai by mixing air into the liquid.

Serve immediately, piping hot. Chai doesn't wait. A cup of masala chai that sits for 10 minutes is a tragedy — the spices fade, the milk develops a skin, and the magic disappears. Drink it now.

Pro Tips from Our Store

• Tea quality matters enormously: Masala chai needs a strong, dark, full-bodied tea that can stand up to milk and spices without disappearing. Wagh Bakri Premium Black Tea 1kg is the #1 choice of Indian households in the UK — it's a strong CTC (crush, tear, curl) Assam tea designed specifically for chai. Safari Pure Tea 1kg and Prime Premium Kenya Tea 1.5kg are also excellent — Kenyan tea has a malty, robust flavour that works brilliantly with ginger. Avoid delicate teas like Darjeeling or green tea — they'll be completely overwhelmed by the spices and milk.
• Fresh ginger, not powder: Fresh ginger gives chai a sharp, bright, invigorating warmth that dried ginger powder can't match. Slice it into coins rather than grating — grated ginger releases too much fibre into the chai and makes it cloudy. If you must use powder, TFS Ginger Powder 100g works, but use only ½ teaspoon per 4 cups — it's concentrated and can turn bitter.
• Full-fat milk only: Semi-skimmed and skimmed milk produce thin, watery chai that tastes nothing like the real thing. Full-fat milk is what gives chai its creamy body and allows the fat-soluble spice compounds (especially from cardamom and cinnamon) to dissolve and distribute evenly. Freshways Whole Milk 2L or 3L is the practical choice.
• The rise-and-settle technique: Bringing chai to the boil 2–3 times isn't fussy tradition — it's science. Each boil extracts more tannins from the tea and more volatile oils from the spices. The repeated heating and cooling also emulsifies the milk fat, creating a creamier, more homogeneous texture. One boil = good chai. Three boils = extraordinary chai.
• Instant chai for busy mornings: When you don't have 5 minutes for from-scratch chai, our instant range is genuinely excellent. Royal Chai Karak Sweetened 400g (just add hot water — intense, creamy, ready in 30 seconds), Royal Chai Masala Sweetened 400g (pre-spiced), Unik Masala Sweetened Chai 10s (individual sachets), and Wagh Bakri Instant Masala 140g (concentrated powder) all produce very good chai with zero effort. Keep a box in the office for afternoon cravings.
• Chai and biscuits — the essential pairing: No cup of chai in India is complete without a biscuit for dunking. Parle-G (the world's best-selling biscuit), Britannia Goodday Pista & Almond, Parle Hide & Seek Chocolate, Britannia 50/50 Sweet & Salty, or Sunfeast Mom's Magic Butter Cookies — all available at Pick N Save, all designed for chai-dunking.

Variations to Try

• Adrak Chai (Ginger-Forward): Double the ginger — use a 4cm piece, sliced. Skip the cinnamon and cloves. Pure ginger-cardamom chai is the most popular everyday version across North India. It's sharper, more invigorating, and the go-to for cold mornings and sore throats. TFS Ginger Powder 100g or Unik Ginger Sweetened Tea 10s for the instant version.
• Elaichi Chai (Cardamom-Forward): Use 6–8 cracked cardamom pods instead of 4, skip the ginger and cinnamon. Pure cardamom chai is the most elegant, perfumed version — served at celebrations, weddings, and when guests arrive. Royal Chai Cardamom Sweetened 400g or Unik Cardamom Unsweetened Chai 10s for instant.
• Karak Chai (Extra Strong): Use double the tea leaves (6 teaspoons) and boil 4–5 times instead of 2–3. Karak means "strong" in Hindi/Urdu and refers to the deeply concentrated, almost syrupy chai popular in Dubai, Qatar, and across the Middle East. Royal Chai Karak Sweetened 400g replicates this exactly — it's our bestselling instant chai for a reason.
• Masala Doodh (Spiced Milk — Caffeine Free): Skip the tea leaves entirely. Boil the spiced milk with saffron (TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — a few strands), a pinch of turmeric (TFS Haldi Powder Rajapuri), and crushed almonds or cashews. Sweeten with sugar or honey. This is the caffeine-free alternative — perfect before bed, for children, or during fasting. Rainbow Cardamom Milk 170g from our shelf is the ready-made version.
• Jaggery Chai (Gur Wali Chai): Replace sugar with 2 tablespoons of grated jaggery (Fudco Desi Gur 900g or Shankar Jaggery Powder 1kg). Add it after straining the chai — jaggery burns easily and can turn bitter if boiled with the tea. Jaggery adds a deep, smoky-caramel sweetness that's completely different from white sugar. A North Indian winter staple.

Shop This Recipe at Pick N Save

Every single ingredient for this recipe is available at picknsave.co.uk with home delivery across London and the UK, or click and collect from our store in Harrow. Here's your shopping list:

• Loose Leaf Tea: Wagh Bakri Premium Black Tea 1kg | Safari Pure Tea 500g | Safari Pure Tea 1kg | Prime Premium Kenya Tea 1.5kg
• Pre-Spiced Tea (Masala Tea): Wagh Bakri Masala Tea 100s | Wagh Bakri Instant Masala 140g | Wagh Bakri Instant Cardamom 140g | Wagh Bakri Instant Ginger 140g
• Instant Chai (Just Add Water): Royal Chai Karak Sweetened 400g | Royal Chai Karak Sweetened 220g | Royal Chai Karak Unsweetened 400g | Royal Chai Masala Sweetened 400g | Royal Chai Masala Sweetened 220g | Royal Chai Masala Unsweetened 400g | Royal Chai Masala Unsweetened 220g | Royal Chai Cardamom Sweetened 400g | Royal Chai Cardamom Tea Sweetened 220G | Royal Chai Cardamom Unsweetened 400g | Royal Chai Cardamom Unsweetened 180g
• Unik Chai Sachets: Unik Masala Sweetened Chai 10s | Unik Masala Unsweetened Chai 10s | Unik Sweetened Cardamom Chai 10s | Unik Cardamom Unsweetened Chai 10s | Unik Badshahi Sweetened Chai 10s | Unik Badshahi Unsweetened Chai 10s | Unik Ginger Sweetened Tea 10s | Unik Ginger Unsweetened Chai 10s
• Other Chai: Classichai Masala Sweetened Tea 200g
• Whole Spices: TFS Green Cardamom Jumbo 50g | TFS Cinnamon Sticks Dalchini 100g | TFS Cinnamon Sticks Dalchini 300g | TFS Black Pepper Whole 100g | Fudco Cinnamon Sticks (Dalchini) 50g | Fudco Cardamom Green Bold 50g | TFS Cardamom Green 50g
• Fresh Ginger: Fresh Ginger Loose 500g | Indian Ginger 500g
• Ginger Powder (Alternative): TFS Ginger Powder 100g | TFS Ginger Powder 300g | TFS Ginger Powder 700g
• Sugar & Sweeteners: Tate & Lyle Sugar Granulated 1kg | Heera Demerara Sugar 2kg | Tate & Lyle Demarara Sugar 1kg | Fudco Desi Gur (Jaggery) Tub 900g | Fudco Desi Jaggery (Gur) 1kg | Shankar Jaggery Powder 1kg | Fudco Kolhapur Jaggery (Gur) 1.8kg | TFS Desi Jaggery Powder 500g | TFS Desi Jaggery Powder 1kg
• Milk: Freshways Whole Milk 2L | Freshways Whole Milk 3 Litres | Freshways Semi-Skimmed Milk 2 Litres
• Chai Biscuits (For Dunking): Parle-G Biscuit 80g | Parle-G Biscuits Family 799g | Parle G Gold 100g | Britannia Goodday Pista & Almond 216g | Parle Hide & Seek Choco Chip Cookie 82.5g | Parle Hide & Seek Chocolate 112g | Britannia 50/50 Sweet & Salty Biscuit 62g | Sunfeast Mom's Magic Butter Cookies 75g | Sunfeast MOM's Magic Cashew Almond 75g | Britannia Little Hearts 75g | Britannia Toastea Suji Rusk 235g | Parle Premium Rusk 200g | Parle Premium Rusk 600g | Regal Cake Rusk Original 18s | A&K Crispy Tea Rusk Red 200g | Muzda Toast Biscuits 300g
• Spiced Milk Variation: TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — 1g | Rainbow Cardamom Milk 170g