Rose Masala Chai

Winter is slowly coming to a close, yet the snow still lingers and the hours of sunlight remain short. Cozying up with a warm cup of tea is a great way to embrace the hygge lifestyle, and this masala chai recipe has all of the spiced, fragrant flavours and aroma to keep you toasty, while also leaving a subtle hint of rose to bring forth a little bit of spring.  

Chai is one of my favourite drinks to enjoy in winter. And while its origins are in much warmer climates, it’s spiced aroma is something I gravitate towards when I need some serious cozying up. 

The true origin of masala chai is frequently debated, but nowadays, chai is the most popular drink of India, and is closely intertwined with hospitality, social gatherings and conversation.  

There is no single way to make masala chai, as there are numerous blends of spices and teas that can be used to create anyone’s signature cup (or pot!), but I like to keep my dominant flavours of cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, ginger and cardamom. The addition of rose is one that I feel blends beautifully with the spicy and floral aromas, so I opted for adding a few dried rose buds towards the end of the process to allow its flavour to peek through.  

One of the best parts of this recipe is that all ingredients can be bought in bulk, making it a great zero waste option for those looking to lower their carbon footprint. If you choose to add homemade oat milk at the end, it just gets that much more sustainable!

Ingredients

(Serves 2)

5 cardamom pods

2 small pieces of cinnamon stick (if you don’t have sticks, use 1 tsp of ground cinnamon)

5 black peppercorns

1 small knob of ginger

½ tsp of dried or fresh mint (home grown is always better!)

5 clove buds

1 tbsp of black tea (ceylon, darjeeling or assam)

6 dried rose buds

Sweetener and milk of your choice

4 cups of water

Method: 

1. Crush and mince the ginger and add it to a pot of boiling water. Add the mint leaves as well.   

2. In a mortar and pestle, grind down the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and  black pepper. Add them to the pot of boiling water, and after about 5 minutes, add the black tea, and lower the heat to medium.   

3. Crush the rose buds using your hands, and add them to the pot and allow to steep for another 3 minutes. 

4. Remove from heat and strain the tea through a sieve.  Pour into cups and add milk and sweetener to taste. 

If you’re looking for a more punchy cardamom flavour, you can also use my cardamom syrup recipe as a sweetener. If you opt for trying this chai over ice, I recommend using a rose syrup (same recipe as the cardamom syrup, but use dried rose buds in place of cardamom!) to maintain the rose aroma and flavour, while being easy to dissolve in the cold tea. Enjoy, and I hope you try this recipe for yourself!