Authentic Chai Masala Powder Recipe – Chai Spice Mix
Homemade authentic Indian chai masala powder (tea masala powder) made at home. This Indian spice blend is key to an amazing cup of chai!
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free
- Easy to make
About
Chai masala powder or tea masala powder is key to a good cup of homemade authentic masala chai.
The key to a good cup of chai is the chai masala powder which is a blend of spices that give your cup of tea the warmth, yummy flavor and beautiful aroma. It’s what makes your chai taste so heavenly!
In English, chai means tea and masala means spice. So, this recipe is for Indian tea spice mix.
The spice is added to water, milk and tea leaves (black tea) to make the ultimate cozy cup of tea! I’ll add a post on how to make Indian masala chai recipe at home soon. You can also use this in Chocolate Chai or Cookie Butter Chai!
While you can find this spice powder blend easily in local Indian grocery stores ,making your own fragrant chai masala blend also has some advantages:
- Fresher blends if you use whole spices
- Can adjust according to your preference
- Making for a thoughtful,easy gift (I love tasting others blends!)
Whole Spices Vs. Ready Made
Using fresh spices gives great flavor, but there is a convenience and ease that comes with ready made spice powders. You can use either for this recipe in the same amounts noted in the recipe card.
Ingredients
There are five main ingredients used commonly across chai masala or chai spice. These are cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon and ginger. In Indian households, you will sometimes see other spices added in such as fennel or nutmeg.
Chai spice can be adjusted to your liking and even mood! Maybe you want more of a ginger forward spice blend for the winter (as it brings more warmth) and you may cut back on the amount of ginger in the summer.
Green cardamom: If using fresh green cardamom pods or seeds work. Can also use cardamom powder.
Ginger: I use a dry ginger powder (you can also add in fresh ginger when making chai)
Cinnamon: Cinnamon sticks can be ground or use cinnamon powder
Black pepper: Black peppercorns can be ground or use black pepper powder
Cloves: Cloves can be ground or use clove powder
Variations
- You can optionally add in a little nutmeg or fennel seeds powder.
- Alternatively, you can also reduce / increase quantities to make it to your taste.
- Get creative to adjust amounts and make your own unique flavor.
- Scroll down for “summer chai masala recipe” ideas
Making Best Chai Masala Powder (Chai Spice Mix)
This recipe is super simple! Pick your path whole spices or powder form:
- Whole Spices (all but ginger powder are whole)
- Simply grind the spices together using a coffee grinder or spice grinder to make a fine powder. I have also used a Nutribullet before and that worked (picture for proof below!) That’s all you need to do to make your own aromatic blend of whole spices
- Powdered Spices (readymade from bottle)
- Measure out the spices and mix well in a bowl or run it through a coffee grinder for better mixing
Note: Some recipes call for dry roasting the spices prior to grinding. My mom and grandmother never toasted the spices so I do not either. There are so many variations, many regionally influenced across India. So, there are many ways to make it.
Storing the blend
This can be stored in an airtight container
Chai masala Powder recipe for summer
Chai is a year-round love! While in the West its flavor profile is often associate with winter time, Indians drink it year round with the masala.
But since chai spice is made of warming spices that are great for the winter, you may be looking for a way to change the spices for your glass of summer chai.
To make a chai masala recipe for the summer you can add in cooling spices like fennel and mint. A popular Indian herb, tulsi (holy basil), can also be added.
Both roses and mint are in season in the summer. You can also make a mint chai or even add in some dried rose petals for a unique flavor to make rose chai.
If you’ve never had a Kashmiri Pink Chai, I think that would be a fun way to mix up the teas you drink as well.
how much masala chai powder or chai spice to use per cup
1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp of masala for every cup of chai
A little spice goes a long way!
When making chai boil water, tea, sugar and masala together to help infuse the flavor, then add milk and let boil longer before serving. Will have a recipe up for tea soon!
Authentic Chai Masala Powder Recipe – Chai Spice Mix
Equipment
- 1 spice grinder or coffee grinder
Ingredients
- ½ cup green cardamom pods or powder 80g
- 6 tbsp dry ginger powder 45g
- ¼` cup clove pieces or powder 18g
- ¼ cup black peppercorns or black pepper powder 30g
- 2 tbsp cinnamon sticks or powder 1-1.5 sticks cinnamon, 8g* see notes
Instructions
Whole Spices
- Simply grind the spices together using a coffee grinder or spice grinder to make a fine powder.
Ready made spice powders
- Measure out the spices and mix well in a bowl or run it through a coffee grinder for better mixing.
- Store in airtight container.
