Iced masala chai

An iced masala chai always hits the spot on a spring or summer day but a homemade version just opens up another dimension of masala greatness and I’m here to share the perfect starter recipe for you. Since this one is iced we’ll be making syrup full of aromatic spices and tea then mixing that with milk. We want to be able to keep everything cool for maximum refreshing capability.  Before we get into the recipe quick PSA. Chai actually translate to tea; therefore, saying chai tea is just like saying tea tea. The word we’re really searching for is masala chai. That’s the good spicy, milky drink we all know and love. 

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Recipe 

Ingredient 

Syrup 

cardamom – 1 tsp

Ginger – 2 inch knob / 2 tbsp. 

cinnamon – 2 sticks

Star anise – 2

Black peppercorn – 4 

All spice – ¼ tsp

Coriander – ¼ tsp 

Nutmeg – ⅛ tsp 

black tea bag – 2

water – 2C (472)

sugar – 1.5 C (301g)

Iced Masala chai

Milk – 1 C (310g)

Syrup – 1 ½ Oz (54g)

process 

syrup

• crush the cardamom, star anise, cinnamon and ginger individually with a mortar and pestle and make sure they are evenly cracked. Set aside the ginger for later.
• Coarsely Crush the remaining spices together (or by whatever means necessary ). 
• Toast all the spices in a pan on low heat until lightly fragrant ( excluding the ginger )
• Add the water ginger and sugar and simmer for 3 minutes 
• Turn off the heat and add tea. Allow it to steep for another 5 minutes 
• Allow to cool then strain into a container and enjoy 

iced masala chai

• In a cup pour in desired milk choice (chilled) and masala syrup (chilled) and stir until evenly mixed. If desired add ice cubs to keep the drink cool.
• * optional * Shake the drink in a shaker tin to create more volume and texture then pour over ice.

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Spices 

This recipe lends itself to a world of change in every aspect. Any of the spices used in this recipe can be; omitted, reduced, increased, and replaced. Clove, juniper, saffron, and black cardamom are a few other spices I’d suggest using here if you could get your hands on them. I’ve  even thought to add lavender too but I’ve yet to go down that road. If you only have the powder version of the spiced used I’d suggest cutting the the amount of them used in half. For the cinnamon toss in ½ a tsp, and a ¼ tsp for ground ginger. When it comes to star anise and cardamom I’ve yet to see any, but if they exist ( I’m sure they do) by all means experiment with them. Using the pre ground fine spices will just lend to a less bodied and aromatic cup of tea. I wouldn’t toast them either. If you’re using all ground spices you could probably just toss them in with the tea and simmer for about 3 minutes and strain. Even the tea leaves used lends to loads of change and variation. For this one I used a caffeine free vanilla black tea from a local tea shop but in all honesty use whatever you got. I’ve made chai with basic Lipton black tea way more times than I have with the fancy loose leaf stuff so don’t feel obligated to go out to get some fancy tea. The bottom line is that this recipe is only a guide for creative exploration into the world of masala chai. 

Milk alternatives 

Traditionally masala chai is typically drunk with cow’s milk but as I said before, this isn’t traditional at all. Any milk choice can be used for this, personally I’m an oat milk guy but it’s 2021 and there’s a milk alternative for everyone. Almond, soy, rice, coconut, hemp, pistachio, nowadays people are even making tempeh milk. I’d just suggest using something more on the neutral side and nothing that’ll work against the spiced in the syrup, 

Masala syrup ?

Using a syrup or making and iced chai is not traditional at all, but a cup of iced chai definitely hits the spot on a spring or summer day. The hot recipe is being saved for a later date, anyways using this syrup makes it allot easier to throw together a quick cold beverage full of flavor. If you want you could totally throw the syrup with some milk in a pan or microwave and heat it up too. The syrup lends more flexibility, it doesn’t only have to be used for an iced chai. A splash in your morning coffee for a change of sweetness is awesome. You can even add little bit in a cocktail instead of the one note simple syrup (this syrup pairs great with rum). 

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A few years ago I went through a serious masala chai faze. I went to every coffee shop in my area looking for my favorite ones and found myself in a rabbit hole of YouTube chai videos with subtitles. For a good year I was making and consuming copious amounts of chai to find what I liked. Now we’re here with this recipe. Personally I love chai spicy and heavy on the peppercorns when it’s hot but for iced I’m putting the focus on the cardamom. It’s such a light appealing flavor and aroma perfect for a stroll around the park on a clear spring day. If you have a spice cabinet full of random spices that barely get used I highly suggest trying some masala chai at home. Trust me, it’s a completely different experience than a chai latte you get on the go.