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Homemade Chai Concentrate Recipe

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4.2 from 8 reviews

Homemade Chai Concentrate is a fragrant and flavorful base made by brewing black tea with traditional Indian spices, including ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. This concentrate allows you to quickly prepare authentic masala chai or chai lattes by mixing it with milk or milk alternatives. It is brewed in small batches, sweetened, and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days, providing an easy way to enjoy chai anytime.

  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 5 servings (5 chais)

Ingredients

Spices

  • 1-inch knob ginger, peeled
  • 1-2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 star anise
  • 5 cloves
  • 4 dried edible roses (optional)
  • 7 green cardamom pods
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Other Ingredients

  • 5 cups water
  • 5 teaspoons loose leaf black tea (or 5 tea bags)
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar (adjust to preference)

Instructions

  1. Crush Spices: In a mortar and pestle, crush the peeled ginger into chunks to release its juices and maximize flavor. Add cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, dried roses if using, cardamom pods, and black peppercorns, then lightly crush to release their essential oils. Grate fresh nutmeg using a microplane.
  2. Dry Roast Spices: Transfer crushed spices to a medium-sized pot. Dry roast on medium heat for about one minute, stirring every 10 seconds with a wooden spoon to prevent burning, until the spices become fragrant.
  3. Boil Spices: Add 5 cups of water to the pot with roasted spices and bring to a gentle rolling boil. Let it boil for 3-5 minutes to further infuse the flavors.
  4. Add Tea Leaves and Simmer: Stir in the loose leaf black tea. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, taking care not to let the mixture boil vigorously to avoid bitterness.
  5. Add Sweetener: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the granulated sugar until completely dissolved.
  6. Steep and Strain: Allow the mixture to steep for at least 15 minutes to deepen flavor. Then strain the chai concentrate through a fine sieve into a sanitized pitcher with a lid.
  7. Store and Serve: Refrigerate the chai concentrate for up to five days. To serve, dilute with an equal amount of steamed, heated, or chilled milk or milk alternative, depending on preference.

Notes

  • Honey or brown sugar may be used as alternative sweeteners.
  • Use 1 tea bag per teaspoon if using tea bags instead of loose leaves.
  • Adjust quantities of cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves, and nutmeg based on the potency and quality of your spices.
  • For a decaffeinated version, substitute black tea with rooibos tea.
  • Author: Maya
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Drinks
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Indian

Find it online: https://recipeteach.com/homemade-chai-concentrate-recipe/