Fiji Masala Chai

Thank you for visiting Savoring Fiji. This was one of the first recipes posted on this site. I can guarantee whenever you visit any Indian home, almost always you are offered a cup of chai, whether it be morning, noon or night.  It’s more than just a cup of tea, Chai ‘s comforting warmth brings a homey atmosphere connecting both the house guests and the hosts. It’s also a recipe that changes and fluctuates with each new drinker. No matter how you take your chai, decaf, milky, spicy or sweet, this drink recipe can be personalized for everyone.

My first iteration of this recipe involved a lot more milk. My Aruna Mosi helped walk me through a lighter less milkier version of this recipe. The recipe below calls for canned carnation milk, however in Fiji traditionally milk powder was used. You can choose to use any type of milk you’d like.

I believe chai is just like roti in the sense that you only perfect it when you make it all the time. My Aruna Mosi’s chai is the same delicious cup every time, mine however has “too much ginger, need more sugar, did you add the milk” – type of days! haha.

Join me, make a cup of chai and let’s get started with Savoring Fiji!

Thank you to my one and only mosi, for teaching me this recipe. 

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Fiji Masala Chai

Course

Beverage

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

5 minutes

Passive Time

1 minute

Servings

cups

Ingredients

• 3 ounces Carnation Evaporated Milk
• 2 cups Water
• 3 Lipton Black Tea Bags (caffeinated or decaffeinated)
• 4 Whole Cloves (optional)
• 3 Whole Cardamom
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks small
• 1 inch Fresh Ginger
• 3 tablespoons Organic Liquid Honey substitute for granulated sugar if preferred (2 teaspoons per cup of water)

Course Beverage Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 5 minutes Passive Time 1 minute Servings cups Ingredients 3 ounces Carnation Evaporated Milk 2 cups Water 3 Lipton Black Tea Bags (caffeinated or decaffeinated) 4 Whole Cloves (optional) 3 Whole Cardamom 2 Cinnamon Sticks small 1 inch Fresh Ginger 3 tablespoons Organic Liquid Honey substitute for granulated sugar if preferred (2 teaspoons per cup of water)

Instructions

1. The best way to incorporate the spices is to use a mortar and pestle to grind the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Transfer spices to a small bowl. If you do not have a mortar and pestle you can skip steps 1 and 2 and add everything in whole. A coffee grinder also works wonders while grinding spices.

   
2. Next, mince the ginger using the mortar and pestle. Ginger is completely up to your own liking. I love ginger so always opt for a little extra. If you aren't a fan, you can cut back.
3. In a large saucepan, begin by boiling the water. Add in your tea bags. Combine the grinded cloves, cardomom, cinnamon sticks and ginger in the pot. Boil for 4 minutes. To see if the tea is completely absorbed tilt the pot and check the color of the tea with a spoon, it should be really dark. If the tea is still a light brown, wait a little longer.
4. Once the tea is darkened, add in milk and honey or sugar. Use medium heat for 5 minutes to bring chai to a simmer. Do not boil Remove from heat, let sit for one minute.
5. Use a mesh strainer to strain the chai over a pitcher or tea cups. Ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

My Aruna Mosi and I (pregnant with Priya)

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