For most of us, having a cup of coffee every morning is a daily ritual. But there is also an equally large proportion of us who can’t start the day without a hot cup of masala chai. This fragrant, strong, and spicy tea is a complete treat for the senses – it’s hot, delicious, and perks you right up so you can start your day right, or have a quick energy boost during the middle of the day.
In the most literal sense, Masala Chai translates to “spiced tea”. This means you can basically use any kind of spice, including Garam Masala, to make Masala Chai, right? Well, the answer is no, you can’t use garam masala for masala chai. Here’s why.
Can you use garam masala for chai?
Garam Masala is a pungent spice mix that is used mostly in savory cooking. Chai Masala, on the other hand, is a mix of spices that is used specifically to make tea. Although they share the same word “Masala” (which means a combination of spices), there are huge differences in terms of taste and fragrance between both spice mixes.
A masala chai drink that is made with garam masala will more than likely taste very savory, and will not have the same sweet-spicy kick that only a chai masala can provide.
So, now that we know that chai masala can’t be replaced with garam masala, let’s look at all the different spices that make up either variation.
Garam masala vs chai masala ingredients
Garam Masala
Garam Masala recipes vary from region to region, and from family to family as well. However, here are the basic ingredients you’ll need to make Garam Masala:
- Cumin Seeds
Cumin seeds aid in digestion and is a great detoxifying aid for the body. They give an earthy and pungent fragrance to your garam masala mixture.
- Cinnamon
The sweet and spicy cinnamon stick intensifies the flavors of the dishes you’re making with your garam masala. Cassia cinnamon is widely used in Indian cuisine, so if you’re making garam masala, choose the cassia variant.
- Fennel Seeds
Fennel acts as a balancing spice to the heat and pungency of other spices in garam masala. They also impart a sweet flavor to the garam masala and have cooling characteristics.
- Cloves
Cloves warm up the body, flush out toxins, and has a fruity and sweet taste to it that makes your garam masala bold and flavorful.
- Star Anise
The star anise is also known as a biryani flower – it adds a subtle sweetness to the fragrance and flavor of your garam masala without overpowering the entire dish. It also helps with indigestion, which is why it is used in most heavy dishes.
- Nutmeg
Nutmeg is the magic spice that adds a delicate sweet aroma and taste to your garam masala.
- Black peppercorns
You’ve probably used black peppers before in your cooking – these whole peppercorns add the heat and peppery flavor that makes garam masala delicious.
- Coriander Seeds
Coriander seeds are the base of any kind of garam masala. They aid digestion and impart sweet and citrusy flavors while providing the volume and body that creates the overall texture of the dish you’re making with your garam masala.
- Cardamoms
Cardamom pods are used in garam masala to add a sweet and floral scent to your food. They are also great to use against indigestion and improve appetite.
- Mace
Mace is used sparingly in garam masala as it is a very strong spice that imparts a bold and robust aroma and flavor to your dishes. Usually, not more than 3 strands of the mace flower petals are required for a regular portion of garam masala.
- Bay Leaf
Bay leaves are used in both European and Indian cooking and are an essential ingredient in making garam masala.
Chai Masala
- Green Cardamom
Similar to the cardamom used in garam masala, green cardamom (also known as Elaichi) gives the strong and unique aroma that chai masala is known for.
- Ginger Powder
Ginger root is a powerful ingredient that remedies a wide variety of ailments. And when ground into a powder, it imparts a strong yet subtle kick of flavor to your chai masala, while giving you all the health benefits of ginger root.
- Black Cardamom
Black cardamom imparts a strong camphor smell that adds to the smoky intensity and flavor that we all love in a cup of masala chai.
- Cinnamon
Cinnamon is sweet and spicy and is used in smaller amounts in masala chai as compared to garam masala. This is because when used in large quantities, cinnamon tends to overpower other flavors it mixes with thanks to its pungency.
- Fennel Seeds
The fennel seed gives a subtle yet noticeable fragrant sweetness and aroma to your cup of masala chai.
- Nutmeg
Nutmeg is the sweet, magic spice that compliments and elevates all the other flavors in your masala chai.
- Black Peppercorns
Providing a spicy kick without being too overpowering, black peppercorns are essential in masala chai to give you that chest-warming sensation every time you take a sip of your hot cup of chai.
- Cloves
Cloves are naturally sweet and fruity, so adding them to masala chai elevates the complexity of the flavors of your chai masala mixture.
As you can tell, the difference between garam masala and chai masala is the inclusion of ground ginger powder in the latter.
As far as masala chai is concerned, ginger is the key ingredient here, and without the addition of ground or fresh ginger root, your cup of masala chai will more than likely taste flat and dull.
How to make chai
To make masala chai, you’ll want to first lightly dry roast all of the spices that you are using. Put all of your spices on a wide pan, and on the stovetop, cook them at low heat for about 3 minutes until you smell the strong aroma of your spices escaping their whole pods and filling up your kitchen.
Next, let all of your spices cool down for about 15 minutes. Once they’re fully cooled, transfer these roasted spices into your spice grinder. If you don’t have a specific spice grinder in your pantry, an unused coffee grinder will do the trick as well. Grind your spices to your desired coarseness (for masala chai, usually a coarse grind works well).
Then you’ll want to brew your masala chai – which is the base of your hot cup of chai. Set aside your ground chai masala in a container and place it in easy reach. Add plain water into a pan, then bring it to a boil. The perfect ratio is 1 cup of water to ½ teaspoon of chai masala – you can definitely add more or less masala to make it stronger or weaker tea to your liking.
Once your water is boiling, add in your chai masala, and some sugar (also to your desired taste). Let this mixture brew for around 1 minute, and then add 1 cup of milk to this mixture, and then let it boil again for another minute before turning off the stove.
Now, strain your freshly brewed masala chai through a strainer and serve the liquid into cups. This recipe serves 2 cups of piping hot, delicious masala chai. Enjoy with some Indian snacks such as biscuits or samosas!
