Masala Chai

Cardamom Chai

Elaichi chai — green cardamom simmered into strong black tea and milk. If you have had chai in North India, this is almost certainly the cup you remember.

Cardamom is the most forgiving of the chai spices and the most widely loved. It is sweet and floral rather than hot, so it rounds a cup instead of cutting through it, and it pairs naturally with milk. That combination is why it became the default: a chai that pleases almost everyone.

Getting the spice right

Use green cardamom pods, not black — black cardamom is smoky and belongs in savoury cooking. Crack each pod lightly with the flat of a knife so the seeds are exposed but still held together. Two or three pods per cup is plenty; cardamom builds quickly and can turn soapy if overdone.

How to brew it

Bring two parts water to one part milk to the boil. Add 2–3 cracked cardamom pods per cup and let them steep in the liquid as it comes up to heat.

Add 1 teaspoon of black tea per cup and sugar to taste. Simmer 2–3 minutes until the colour deepens to a coppery brown, then strain.

Tip: add a single clove alongside the cardamom if you want a little more depth without moving all the way to a full masala.

The base matters

Cardamom is delicate enough that a weak tea disappears underneath it and you end up drinking spiced milk. A strong Assam gives the malty backbone this blend needs.