Masala Chai | Masala Tea by Chef Kunal Kapur

Heat a pan to medium hot and turn off the heat. On this hot to warm pan add cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, saunf and rose petals. Toss them for 2mins. Remove to a mortar pestle and crush them to make powder. Strain to remove any shells. To this mix in ginger powder and store this tea masala in an air tight container.

Bring water to a boil and add tea leaves and sugar. Boil for another minute and add milk along with chai masala. Bring to a boil and simmer for another minute. Remove, strain and serve hot.

Mix together readymade tea along with milk, vanilla extract, sugar and chai masala. Bring it to a boil and turn off heat. Mix together cornstarch with water and mix it well. Pour it into the hot tea, keep stirring for a minute. Now bring it back on heat and get it to a boil. Cook till it thicken to gently coat a spoon.
Remove from heat and pout into cups. Garnish with almonds and hot chocolate powder. You can serve it hot, warm or chilled.

- Don’t over boil tea leaves.
- Don’t over boil spices.
- Add hot water to the tea cups and glass to flush them and make the hot.
- You want good tasting tea then buy good quality tea leaves
- Remember tea calms you down and coffee energises you
- Loose tea is better than tea bags
- If using jiggly in tea with milk, then add the jaggery once you have poured the tea in the cups.
- Aerate the tea in the pan and while pouring. Aerating the tea makes the taste better and removes any heavy flavours.