welcome to chai & chat

There’s something special about a perfect cup of chai.

It’s not just a simple cup of tea. Brewing the perfect cup is an art form in itself; there are rules on the ratios of milk to water to tea leaves, there are the spices you add in at precisely the correct moment. Everyone makes it slightly differently, giving each cup a certain magical touch from the maker.

But to me, chai isn’t just something you drink. To me, the beverage holds an inexplicable amount of importance in my life. To me, chai is coming downstairs on Saturday mornings in my parents’ house, sitting around the kitchen table with my family and talking with my grandparents overseas. Chai is the warm mug of milky comfort that I come home to after a long day at work that instantly soothes as I ponder over the questions of the day. Chai is the catalyst that opens up a conversation between me and distant relatives or old friends coming to visit. I’ve heard so many of our family’s best stories while sipping chai, the steam fogging up my glasses and my stomach warm with conversation.

In college, away from home, I’d crave the connections built over cups of chai. So, I’d gather friends and make them chai, with my dad’s secret blend of masalas that he had put in a jar for me since I could never get the proportions right like his. And we would chat. Chat about life, our thoughts, our feelings. It was like therapy in a cup.

This tradition is one I’d like to continue throughout life, but I’d like to share it with you, too. Because I feel like we have something we can chai and chat about.

So, follow the recipe below, make yourself a fresh cup of chai – or your favorite brew of coffee or tea or honey water – and let’s chat.

Enjoy,

Riya

Dad’s Masala Chai

Ingredients

1. Water

2. Milk

3. Lipton Yellow Label Loose Tea

4. Ginger, freshly grated or powder

5. Black pepper

6. Cardamom

7. Sugar

Preparation

1. Boil water and milk. The amount of milk is always to your liking, but the ratio we typically follow is 3/4 water to 1/4 milk.

2. Add all your spices

3. Add chai paathi (chai leaves) (usually a spoonful for each cup you’re making, but no more than 3 spoons)

4. Let boil for a few minutes, until it is a rich, brown color. The deeper it is, the stronger the flavor (but watch for bitterness).

5. Strain into a cup and enjoy!

There’s no right or wrong.

There are all sorts of ways to make chai.
Some people make it black and then add milk later.
Some people don’t add spices.
Some people add less leaves but boil it for longer.

The great thing about this recipe is that there are no measured amounts or strict instructions.
It’s all ratios and to your taste. Add or don’t add whatever you want.
It’s the perfect encouragement to make the recipe over and over again,
experimenting until you get it just right.

It’s both the most beautiful and most frustrating part of Indian cooking.