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Bon Appétit

Karak Chai

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Photo by Heami Lee, food styling by Judy Haubert, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky

Karak chai is a style of masala chai that translates from Hindi to “strong tea.” It’s rich and creamy thanks to evaporated milk and is usually made with fewer spices than masala chai. Recipes vary family to family and some may include saffron.  This version is adapted from my cookbook, Let's Eat. —Zaynab Issa

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    6 servings

Ingredients

4 Tetley British Blend or Orange Pekoe tea bags
13 cardamom pods, cracked
1 3"-long cinnamon stick
3 Tbsp. (or more) sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium pot or tea kettle. Add tea bags, cardamom, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla extract and return to a boil. Stir in evaporated milk and return to a boil again, watching carefully to ensure the tea doesn’t boil over. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, creamy, and caramel in color, about 30 minutes. (The longer the tea simmers the stronger and creamier it will be.)

    Step 2

    Strain tea through a fine-mesh sieve into mugs; discard spices and tea bags.

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Adapted from LET'S EAT by Zaynab Issa. Copyright © 2020 by Zaynab Issa. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
TagsHot DrinkBeveragesIndianSouth AsianAsianCardamomHerbs & SpicesCinnamonEasy5 Ingredients or FewerVegetarianNut FreeGluten FreeKetoNonalcoholicRamadanBon Appétit
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