How to Make Street Chai

 

This recipe was provided to the Cultured Cup by Timothy Chacko. 

Our most popular chai, Arka Masala, was originally created for a project while Timothy Chacko was in high school. Store co-owner, Kyle Stewart, helped mentor him in this endeavor. Timothy's family hails from India, and he took inspiration from a recipe for chai from his family. He picked the right tea base and made it his own with guidance from Kyle. Years later, its as popular as ever and Timothy still sources all his spices directly from his family in India. Now, he offers us a glimpse into the culture surrounding chai with this recipe on how it may be prepared on the streets of India.

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 2 heaping teaspoons Arka Masala Chai
• 1 tbsp condensed milk (optional)
• Sweetener to taste (tip: for a delightful complimentary sugar, try jaggery)
  
  

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, boil the water then add Arka masala chai. Simmer for two minutes.
2. Then, add one cup of milk. Simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes or until desired color.
3. Tip: A common thing to do during this stage is to increase the heat and boil until the foam reaches the top, then quickly reduce the heat. Repeat this rise-fall motion 3-5 times. Make sure it doesn’t overflow!
4. Strain and mix with condensed milk/sweetener of your choice for an extra creamy taste. A common thing to do is “pull” the chai for an extra foamy drink! Watch it done.

Video credit: "Indian Street Food- SPICED MILK TEA Masala Chai." Youtube by Travel Thirsty on March 28, 2017.