🌿 Key Ingredients

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  Water: 1 Cup (filtered)
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  Whole Milk: 1 Cup (preferably full-cream)
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  CTC Black Tea: 2 tsp (Assam CTC blend)
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  Kanhaji Chai Masala: 1/4 tsp
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  Kanhaji Green Elaichi: 1 pod (lightly crushed)
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  Fresh Ginger: 1/2 inch (crushed)
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  Sweetener: 2 tsp raw sugar or jaggery (to taste)

☕ Step-by-Step Brewing Method

1. Infuse the Aromatics: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a brisk rolling boil. Add the freshly crushed ginger and crushed green cardamom pod. Allow them to simmer on medium heat for 2 minutes until the water turns golden and aromatic.
2. Steep the Tea Leaves: Add 2 teaspoons of robust Assam black tea leaves. Let the decoction boil vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to extract the authentic tannins and deep malt flavor.
3. Add Milk & Sweetener: Pour in 1 cup of whole milk along with your sweetener of choice. Stir gently and bring the mixture to a gentle boil on medium-low flame.
4. The Secret Spice Bloom: Right as the milk rises to its first boil, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of Kanhaji Chai Masala. Adding the masala towards the end preserves the volatile essential oils of the clove, nutmeg, and dry ginger from boiling away.
5. Double-Boil Aeration: Lower the flame, let the chai subside, and let it rise again 2 to 3 times. This traditional double-boiling creates an emulsion between the dairy fats and the spiced tea liquor, resulting in that velvety, street-side kadak mouthfeel.
6. Strain & Serve: Turn off the heat. Strain through a fine mesh strainer directly into traditional earthen kulhads or cutting glasses. Serve steaming hot alongside crispy rusk or khari biscuits.

💡 Master Chai Brewer’s Tip

Never boil stone-ground chai masala right at the beginning in plain water for prolonged periods. Boiling ground spices too long makes the tea astringent and bitter. Adding Kanhaji Chai Masala during the final milk simmer releases the sweetest notes of stone-ground green cardamom and mace.

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“My mother frequently orders from Kanhaji Masale and we really love all of their products, especially the Pavbhaji masala and the Chai masala. They are really amazing! Kanhaji’s Chai masala tastes just like how my grandmother’s homemade masala used to be. I highly recommend people to buy from them!”