Apr 03, 2025 05:27 PM IST
The price you pay for chai is the painfully slow waiting game on the stove. But this super smart and easy recipe makes that a problem of the past
Making good chai is an art. Now even if you don’t proclaim yourself to be a culinary artist of that caliber, either you or a constant in your life has hacked the formula to brew a cup (or four!) which brings you the utmost comfort with every sip. Now following this process and watching the flavours come together in a simmering boil is of course, a deeply therapeutic process. Trust us, we could peer over our patila of chai from sunrise to sunset — but the ins and outs of everyday life makes it quite the distant dream.
Don’t get us wrong — nobody is taking you away from your therapy session on the stove! But for days and hours when you’re short on time, patience and energy, this chai premix is the pantry equivalent of a knight in shining armour. Making sure a good, flavourful cup of chai comes together in as much time as the water boils up, you can now indulge in your cup of peace without the exhaustion, any hour of the day.
Homemade chai premix
Ingredients: Tea leaves/tea powder – 1/2cup, sugar – 3/4cup, milk powder – 1cup, ginger powder – 1tbsp, elaichi powder – 1tsp, cinnamon powder – 1tsp
Method: The simplest recipe ever, all you need to do is toss the tea leaves, sugar, milk powder, ginger powder, elaichi powder and cinnamon powder into the mixer and give it a good whizz. And that’s it, your premix is done. Store it in a tight container and simply add a teaspoon or two to the water boiling on the stove.
And don’t forget to adjust the sugar in the premix based on how sweet or straight you like your chai!
(recipe from Ishita Dan)
If you happen to be one of those chai traditionalists, we respect your craft. That being said, don’t sleep on this chai premix’s potential to be a sturdy travel buddy! You don’t really even need a stove anymore to bring your cup of chai to life — just take boiling water in a cup and add in a teaspoon or two and you’re set.
All we’d like to say is don’t knock it till you try it!
