Chai Masala is the secret ingredient to make the Indian style masala chai at home. Learn how to make traditional chai masala spice mix from scratch.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
- What is Masala Chai?
- About Chai Masala Mix
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Watch Chai Masala Video
- Storage Suggestion
- Chai Masala Recipe
What is Masala Chai?
Masala Chai is an Indian style hot milk tea flavoured with spices. It is a more fragrant and spiced version of English milk tea. Chai or tea isn’t just another beverage in the subcontinent. Instead, it’s an emotion and something that one can share memories, good weather, and gossip over.
Masala tea is unarguably delicious, but it also boasts of several benefits apart from the taste, which gives you one more reason to get another cuppa.
- Reduces inflammation – Ginger present in the tea masala is effective in reducing inflammation in the body. Inflammation is the underlying cause of most diseases
- Balances hormones – Cinnamon and cloves in the tea masala help women balance their hormones, promote insulin absorption and help balance blood sugars
- Better digestion – A hot cup of tea may help your food digest better and aid in reducing bloating and weight loss as well
- Clears the sinuses – For those with a blocked nose or annoyingly plugged masala passage, a steaming hot cup of masala chai may help hear out block sinuses and relieve discomfort
- Instant mood upliftment – Needless to say, tea instantly energises you a gives you fresh start regardless of what time of day you drink it
About Chai Masala Mix
Chai Masala is an Indian spice mix mainly used to flavour the milk tea (chai). This masala tea powder is a dry, ready-to-use, gluten-free, and vegan spice powder that can be stored for a year.
It is a blend of whole spices – green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns, dry ginger powder, and nutmeg .
A dash of masala tea powder can be used in cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake , or gingerbread cake. Instead of opening different jars of spices, it is always easy to add a teaspoon of chai masala to flavour the dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Green Cardamom is known as ‘elaichi’ in Hindi. It adds aroma and sweet taste to the tea masala.
- Cloves are called ‘laung’ in Hindi. It has a sharp and earthy taste. It is a natural home remedy for dental pain or cold/cough.
- Cinnamon or ‘dal cheeni’ is the best companion of milk beverages. It is an antioxidant that helps in controlling diabetes, cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
- Black Peppercorns or ‘kali mirch’ gives a little spicy kick to the tea masala.
- Dry Ginger Powder is known as ‘saunth’ in Hindi. It is the powder of dried ginger roots. Usually, fresh ginger root is added separately in masala tea. But with ginger powder already in the spice mix no need to add fresh ginger root.
- Nutmeg or ‘jaiphal’ aids in digestion and strengthens the human immunity system.
Watch Chai Masala Video
Storage Suggestion
Store Chai Masala at room temperature in an airtight container. It remains fresh and aromatic for 6 months. Or you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight jar to increase the shelf life.
I prefer storing tea masala powder in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid to retain its freshness, taste, and aroma.
More Indian Spice Mix Recipes
- Homemade Garam Masala
- Homemade Sambar Powder
- Homemade Curry Powder
- Homemade Pickle Masala
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 tablespoon Green Cardamon (Elaichi)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon Dry Ginger Powder (Saunth)
- ▢ ½ tablespoon Cloves (Laung)
- ▢ ½ tablespoon Black Peppercorns (Kali mirch)
- ▢ ½ inch Cinnamon (Dal chini)
- ▢ ¼ tablespoon or half piece Nutmeg (Jayphal)
Instructions
- Dry roast all the spices except ginger powder over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Or you can roast the spices till their aroma is released. Turn off the heat. Allow the spices to cool down a bit
- Grind roasted spices to a fine or coarse powder. Use a strong blade dry mixing jar for the purpose
- Combine ginger powder in the chai masala and mix nicely
- Chai masala is ready. Store it in a air tight container for 6 months to 1 year
- Half a teaspoon of chai spice mix is sufficient for making two cups of tea. Or you can increase the quantity of chai masala as per taste preference.
Recipe Notes:
While roasting the spices make sure not to brown them or roast for too long. Else, they will turn bitter. No need to roast the dry ginger powder.
Use a strong blade, heavy duty mixer for grinding spices. Please do not use smoothie blenders for grinding whole spices.
You can store chai masala at room temperature for 6 months to 1 year. Make sure to use a clean and dry spoon to scoop the masala powder.
Homemade tea masala is strong in taste than the packaged one. So add in tea accordingly.
Add ½ teaspoon of chai masala . Let the spice powder boil for 10 – 20 seconds to flavour the water.
Don’t add too much of the tea leaves , it will only make your tea bitter.
Avoid boiling water for too long after adding tea leaves and sugar. Even for making iced tea , I avoid steeping tea for too long. It makes any kind of tea (hot or cold0 bitter. Another 10 – 20 seconds is enough. Stir once or twice with a spoon.
Don’t add too much milk – While milk aids in flavouring tea, too much of it makes the drink too thick and milky.
Allow the tea to simmer over low heat for a few seconds to get the excellent colour and taste.
Nutrition
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Chai Masala Recipe
Equipment
- Grinder
- Stir Fry Pan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Green Cardamon (Elaichi)
- 1 tablespoon Dry Ginger Powder (Saunth)
- ½ tablespoon Cloves (Laung)
- ½ tablespoon Black Peppercorns (Kali mirch)
- ½ inch Cinnamon (Dal chini)
- ¼ tablespoon or half piece Nutmeg (Jayphal)
Instructions
- Dry roast all the spices except ginger powder over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Or you can roast the spices till their aroma is released. Turn off the heat. Allow the spices to cool down a bit
- Grind roasted spices to a fine or coarse powder. Use a strong blade dry mixing jar for the purpose
- Combine ginger powder in the chai masala and mix nicely
- Chai masala is ready. Store it in a air tight container for 6 months to 1 year
- Half a teaspoon of chai spice mix is sufficient for making two cups of tea. Or you can increase the quantity of chai masala as per taste preference.
Video
Notes
While roasting the spices make sure not to brown them or roast for too long. Else, they will turn bitter. No need to roast the dry ginger powder.
Use a strong blade, heavy duty mixer for grinding spices. Please do not use smoothie blenders for grinding whole spices.
You can store chai masala at room temperature for 6 months to 1 year. Make sure to use a clean and dry spoon to scoop the masala powder.
Homemade tea masala is strong in taste than the packaged one. So add in tea accordingly.
Add ½ teaspoon of chai masala . Let the spice powder boil for 10 - 20 seconds to flavour the water.
Don’t add too much of the tea leaves , it will only make your tea bitter.
Avoid boiling water for too long after adding tea leaves and sugar. Even for making iced tea , I avoid steeping tea for too long. It makes any kind of tea (hot or cold0 bitter. Another 10 - 20 seconds is enough. Stir once or twice with a spoon.
Don’t add too much milk – While milk aids in flavouring tea, too much of it makes the drink too thick and milky.
Allow the tea to simmer over low heat for a few seconds to get the excellent colour and taste.
Nutrition
Try this easy and delicious Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Pasta recipe. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Instant Pot Pasta
- Recipe Variations
- Serving Suggestion
- Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Pasta Recipe
Yes, you can cook delicious pasta in one pot itself. No need to boil the pasta separately or make the sauce in a pan. Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Pasta is a creamy, delicious, one-pot pasta recipe that is ready in under 30 minutes.
That means less cooking/cleaning and more time for enjoying the pasta dinner.
Also, if you are looking for ways to feed broccoli to the family, try my one-pot broccoli soup , malai broccoli tikka , or the stir fry broccoli .
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you need to make instant pot chicken broccoli pasta:
- Elbow Pasta: Use uncooked pasta of any shape you like.
- Fresh broccoli florets are the best for this pasta recipe.
- Chicken : Use boneless, skinless, bite-size chicken pieces
- Cream : I have used heavy cream. Feel free to use milk
- Chicken Stock or veg stock gives so much flavour to the sauce
- Garlic and Onion: I love their flavour in the pasta sauce
- Cheese: Any pulling pleasure kinda cheese like Emmental, mozzarella, or cheddar works for this one-pot pasta
- Fresh Basil , parsley or cilantro
- Olive Oil, Oregano, Chilli Flakes, Salt
How To Make Instant Pot Pasta
- Saute Broccoli: Set the IP to SAUTE Mode for 5 minutes. Add olive oil and saute the broccoli florets till they are al-dente and slightly roasted. This takes 1 – 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Make Sauce: Next, add garlic, onion, and chicken. Saute for a minute or till the chicken turns pale white. Add stock, cream, cheese, seasoning, and salt, and stir nicely.
- Cook Pasta: Add uncooked pasta to the sauce. Stir to mix. Close the lid of the IP. Set PRESSURE Cook mode for 5 minutes. Let the pasta cook in the creamy sauce.
- Final Touch: Once pasta is cooked, add sauteed broccoli, and fresh basil and mix nicely.
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta is ready to serve!
Recipe Variations
Vegetables: From green peas, kale, zucchini, and red peppers to sun-dried tomato and cherry tomato, you can add any fresh or frozen vegetable of your choice to the pasta and broccoli.
Meat : If you are a seafood lover, add shrimp instead of chicken or add diced sausages or crispy bacon along with the chicken.
Cheese: This is a cheese-friendly pasta recipe. From Gouda, Cheddar, and Parmesan, to soft Mozarella or Goat Cheese, any of these works perfectly for this pasta recipe.
Serving Suggestion
For a wholesome family dinner, you can serve broccoli pasta with:
- Green Salad
- Herb Roasted Potato
- Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Homemade Focaccia Bread
More Pasta Recipes
- Pasta with Cherry Tomato
- Garlic Mushroom Pasta
- Pumpkin Sauce Pasta
- Broccoli Pesto Pasta
- Tomato Sauce Pasta
- White Sauce Pasta
- Pasta Chips
- Mug Pasta
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250 ml
1 tablespoon = 15 ml
- ▢ 200 gram uncooked elbow pasta (macaroni)
- ▢ 4 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢ 1 Cup broccoli florets
- ▢ 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- ▢ ½ Cup finely chopped onion
- ▢ 1 Cup (200 gram) boneless, skinless chicken pieces
- ▢ 1 Cup chicken or vegetable stock ( get recipe )
- ▢ 1 Cup heavy cream
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano
- ▢ 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- ▢ ¼ Cup grated cheese (any hard cheese)
- ▢ ½ Cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Set the IP to SAUTE Mode for 5 minutes. Add olive oil and saute the broccoli florets till they are al-dente and slightly roasted. This takes 1 – 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Next, add garlic, onion, and chicken. Saute for a minute or till chicken is pale white in color and tender. Add stock, cream, cheese, seasoning, salt, and stir nicely.
- Add uncooked pasta in the sauce. Stir to mix. Close the lid of IP. Set PRESSURE Cook mode for 5 minutes. Let pasta cook in the creamy sauce. In 5 minutes, you will get the al dente pasta. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes more if you need slightly more cooked pasta.
- Once pasta is cooked, add sauteed broccoli, fresh basil, and mix nicely. Taste the sauce at this stage and adjust seasoning accordingly. Chicken Broccoli Pasta is ready to serve! Do not cook pasta after adding broccoli or basil.
- Serve chicken broccoli pasta with focaccia bread or salad for dinner.
Recipe Notes:
- Use boneless, skinless, bite-size chicken pieces for even cooking.
- If you are using frozen broccoli, thaw it at room temperature or as per packet instructions before using for making the pasta.
- You can use full-fat milk or dairy-free nut milk as well to make the sauce.
- You can store broccoli pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days. Reheat in a microwave before serving.
Nutrition
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