Mint Tea With Milk

Indian mint tea with milk or pudina chai is the perfect way to enjoy chai with a twist. Mint or pudina leaves are infused into black tea and milk sweetened with sugar to make a delicious mint milk tea.

While I usually have it as a hot tea,  I also think it is delicious served over ice or as iced tea.

Mint is a herb used often in Indian cuisine.

Note, pudina means mint in Hindi. Chai means tea in Hindi.  So, if you say chai tea, you are saying “tea tea.”  So, please don’t! 

Indian mint tea is a popular chai recipe.  The tea is usually prepared with flavor from only mint leaves or a combo of mint leaves and fresh ginger.  

Either way, the process is quick and you’ll be sipping on a mug full in no time!

If you like different types of chai, you’ll find this easy chai spice powder handy. Mint Coffee is a delicious alternative to try as well!

Chai is one of my favorite things and love to try out different flavors. Some include hot Chocolate Chai, Rose Chai, Biscoff Chai.

You can even make vegan chai such as Oat Milk Chai.

Why you will love this recipe

Ingredient Notes

I like to make mint tea with milk with the only addition of fresh mint leaves. You can add more flavors like ginger which are noted in the variations section.

Below are ingredient notes. Full ingredients and directions are in the printable recipe card at the end of the post. 

Black tea – You can use either loose black tea or tea bags.  I always use the Wagh Bakri brand for loose tea when making chai.  My family used to use Lipton tea bags before the switch over to loose tea.

Sugar – I’ve used white sugar.  Feel free to use the sweetener of your choice. Brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and honey all work.  Just taste and adjust to your preference for sweetness.

Milk – I usually use 2% milk. You can also use whole milk for a creamier cup.  Feel free to substitute with plant-based milk for a vegan option.

Other popular cozy Indian drinks include Turmeric Milk and Saffron Pistachio Milk.

Variations

Mix up the spices used: Some ideas include cardamom, Star anise, black pepper, fennel seeds

You can also add chai masala which you can DIY at home.  It is also found easily at your local Indian grocery store or online.

Just be careful not to overpower the refreshing mint tea with other flavors.

Then you may not be able to taste the mint flavors!

Cold chai: Let it cool and blend with ice for a rose chai frappe or mix with ice cubes for an iced version

Making it vegan: Substitute plant-based milk or non-dairy milk to make this recipe vegan.  I would go with oat milk or something like Ripple (available in the US) as they are thicker and will make a creamier chai.

Go with your favorite though! Almond milk or other varieties can also work.

Making It

1.Place water, sugar, rose petals, chai spices, and black tea powder (loose tea leaves) or tea bags in a pot on medium-high heat on the stove.

2. Let it come to a simmer and the rolling boil for about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add milk and let it come to a boil.

4. Let boil for 6-7 minutes.

Strain tea with a fine-mesh strainer and serve.

Storing

 Chai is best made fresh.  You can explore making and using a chai concentrate.  If you were to do it for mint chai I’d suggest just making a mint herbal tea concentrate and add milk later.

Serving Suggestions

 A cup of pudina tea goes well with many Indian recipes – both sweet and savory Indian snacks.

Sweet snack ideas: Pistachio Saffron Cookies, Masala Chai Cookies, Indian Cakes

Savory snack ideas: Tater Tot Chaat, Masala Puri, Cereal Chevdo, Poha Chivda, and Sev Mamra

Have you tried this fresh mint tea recipe? If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you could leave a comment and rate it with stars. It would mean a lot to me to hear how it turned out. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creation. Thank you for your support!