Indian Masala Chai: The Art of Making Spiced Tea

Join Vasant Lad, founder and director of The Ayurvedic Institute, as he walks you through his personal masala chai recipe and daily meditation as you make a cup of chai together.

In this moment of making chai we get to spend a few moments in contemplation - working with each ingredient - to make a brew that is good for our systems, as well as a gift for others in our household and community. Sharing a cup of chai with our loved ones is a blessing we can both give and receive every day!

When asked to give the exact portions for this recipe, Vasant Lad made a joke that he doesn’t measure - and in a way this is what we each do with our personal chai recipe, learn what works for us.

Vasant Lad’s Chai Recipe

As a guide, you can begin with this recipe* for 4 people:

3 cups of filtered water
4 cloves
2 pinches of ground nutmeg
2 pinches of ground cinnamon
2 pinches of ground cardamom
½ inch piece of fresh ginger
1 or 2 teaspoon black tea (depending on how strong you like your chai)
1 cup of milk
2 teaspoons Turbinado sugar / sweetener of your choice