Karak chai is a spice warm beverage, talk about fresh whole spices that are brewed with black tea and milk and sweetened with sugar or honey, karak chai is best enjoyed fresh and hot, a seriously dreamy mood enhancer beverage and a perfect way to warm you up.
Karak tea is famous in Gulf region, the origin is believed to be Indian, specifically from South Asia, it is an import brought to the Arabian Gulf region through trade and maritime voyage, becoming an essential drink in daily life, special gathrings and a fixture on many coffeehouse menus.
There are many versions to make karak chai but , tea, milk cardamom and fresh ginger are musts; and honey or sugar or a combination of both are added to sweeten the beverage.
Ingredients needed to make karak chai:
- Black Tea: I prefer to use loose black tea , but you can use black tea bags
- Powdered Milk: You can use evapotated milk but after testing, I prefered the powdered milk version.
- Cardamom Pods: Use whole pods, crush gently by using a mortar and pestle to lightly smash them.
- Whole Cloves: Add an agreeable spicy flavor.
- Fresh Ginger: Peel and cut to small pieces, they are my favorite
- Sugar or Honey or (a combination of both).
- Water: The liquid that binds the ingredients together.
Tips and Tricks
- You can use evaporated milk instead of powdered milk diluted in water, which is very common to in making karak chai, after testing, I prefered the powdered milk version.
- You can omit sugar and use natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or your favorite artificial sweetener, customize the sweetness to your liking by adding more or less sweetners.
- Use fresh ginger, I have tested karak chai with fresh ginger and powdered ginger, and I tell you fresh ginger is incomparable, way more better.
- Use the fresh cardamom and whole cloves, the more fresh the better the deeper the flavor notes are.
- Some recipes include cinammon stick, that I found, after testing, overpowering and not my taste, you can experiment to see what’s good for you.
- Ginger contains enzymes that can cause milk to curdle if not managed properly, add the evaporated milk at the end, this will prevent the karak chai from curdling.
- Do not add too much tea, and do not steep the tea and spices more than 2 to 3 minutes, no one wants a bitter chai karak.
- You can use decaf black tea for a comfy night without caffeine.
- Strain the karak chai after brewing for a smooth sip without bits of spice.
Let’s stay in touch
If you like seeing my recipes subscribe via email or, connect with me on my social media platforms:
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube , Pinterest
and TikTok!
Karak Chai
Description
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup water to dilute the powdered milk with
- 3 heaped tablespoons powdered milk
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 leveled tablespoons loose black tea or three bags of black tea
- 2 inches chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and diced
- 3 tablespoons sugar you can reduce the sugar to your liking, but karak chai is usually sweet
Instructions
- Peel and dice the ginger; using a mortar and pestle crush the cardamom pods to reveal the inner seeds.
- Place the grated ginger, cardamom pods and cloves in a stock pot, add the black tea and 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 minute.
- Combine together the powdered milk and water, and pour in a steady stream over the spiced tea, bring to a boil , and simmer for 2 minutes, you will notice the karak chai turned to a beige shade with a thin layer of milk skin showing on top. Strain and serve warm with your favorite cookies.
Video
2 Comments
This is the sort of beverage that I’d readily order at a restaurant, but wouldn’t think to make at home. I should try it! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you, Jeff, I really love this spicy beverage. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.