Chai Spice Mix and Chai Concentrate

Homemade chai spice mix is a perfect holiday food gift! Or, keep it all to yourself, so you can make authentic chai(Indian tea) any time you want! Use the chai spice to make a chai concentrate! That means instant hot chai or iced tea any time! This fragrant and delicious Indian chai masala is my family recipe.

Chai spice, or chai masala as I would call it, is great for gifting. Freshly-made chai spice is much more fragrant than the pre-packaged version! The packaged versions in stores(in the US) are usually not close to an authentic Indian chai spice blend. They tend to be much more cinnamon-y or nutmegggy, while Indian chai spice, or chai masala, is heavier on cardamom.

There are different ways to make chai spice, depending on the region, family recipes, and personal preferences. You can add more spices for different flavor profiles or reduce some based on your preference. This is the way I usually make my chai spice.

I usually make a bigger bottle of chai spice because we use it daily for making chai. Sometimes, I sprinkle it into curries to enhance the cardamom flavor. Other times, I add it to my turmeric milk,  and it makes the golden milk taste amazing. You can make a smaller or a larger portion of the mix, depending on your preference.

My chai spice mix usually includes cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, fennel seeds, and ground ginger. You can also add other flavors, like nutmeg or allspice or even vanilla for variations. For a simpler chai spice, you can use just cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Fennel seeds deepen the flowery flavor profile of the chai spice, but you can omit them. You can also use fresh ginger when you brew your chai and omit the ground ginger from the mix.

I use ground cinnamon instead of cinnamon sticks, because they can be tough to grind in some regular blenders/spice grinders. If you have a coffee grinder, it might work better, but you’ll want to break the cinnamon stick into smaller pieces, so it fits your coffee grinder. Either way, I provide values for using either form of cinnamon.

You can make the chai spice mix and store it to use, as needed, or gift it. But you can also make it into a chai concentrate, which reduces the time you need to make delicious chai. To make the concentrate, boil the chai spice mix with water, fresh ginger, and loose tea leaves and store that in the fridge for up to a week. Just add non dairy milk and your chai is ready! No measuring each ingredient and no straining needed.

Though, I wouldn’t use this chai concentrate to make chai for my mom. She can just tell if chai is freshly-made. It’s an Indian thing.:) She makes her fresh cup of tea with my chai spice and oat milk every morning, and evening!

Chai spice blend or chai concentrate makes a great gift. It just smells amazing, with the freshly-powdered spices and it’s such a versatile blend. You can add it to cakes, rice pudding, baklava, pancakes, fresh toasts, chai-misu(tiramisu but use chai for the soak!) or other desserts for that amazing flavor.

Why You’ll Love Chai Spice Mix

• both the chai spice mix and chai concentrate make amazing holiday gifts for the tea lovers in your life!
• or, keep the mixes on hand for your own tea-making
• naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

Ingredients and Substitutions

• whole spices – For the chai blend, you will need green cardamom pods, cinnamon (sticks or ground), whole cloves, black peppercorns, and fennel seeds.
• ground ginger – For the chai spice blend.
• water – To brew the chai masala.
• fresh ginger – To brew the chai masala or make the chai concentrate.
• loose leaf tea – For brewing the chai. I use Indian tea such as wagh bakri , jivraaj
• non-dairy milk – To make it creamy. Oat milk works best. Almond milk when heated can sometimes taste metallic.
• sugar – Use sugar or your preferred sweetener, to taste.

How to Make Chai Spice Mix

Combine all the chai spice blend ingredients in a coffee grinder or small blender. Blend until the mixture is evenly powdered. Depending on your blender, if might not do a good job of breaking up the cardamom pods completely. If you know your blender won’t blend well then remove the husks before blending and use only the seeds.

Store the spice mix in an airtight container away from direct sunlight. The spice will stays fresh for 6 months.

For a single serving of chai, heat the water in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chai spice mix and grated or sliced ginger and bring to a boil.

Add the loose-leaf tea and boil again. Stir in sugar to taste, then pour in the non-dairy milk slowly. Pouring the milk in slowly reduces the temperature of the pan and helps reduce chances of your mil splitting because of sudden temperature differential. Bring the mixture to a boil again, then turn off the heat. Strain into a cup and enjoy!

How to Make Chai Concentrate

Heat the water in a saucepan and add chai spice mix and grated or sliced ginger. Bring to a boil.

Add the loose-leaf tea and sugar (if using). Boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for a few minutes. Strain the concentrate, let it cool, and store it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 7 days. Or make ice cubes with it to freeze and use later,

What to Serve with Chai

Chai is a cozy way to start the day, if you don’t want to do coffee. Serve it with your favorite breakfast, like peach upside-down pancakes or some scones!