Basil Ginger Chai

Mar 08, 2015, Updated Jan 02, 2018

Refreshing Basil Ginger Chai is a great way to start your mornings!

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Chai – so many ways to make it and so many ways to relish it. Mornings in India are incomplete without chai, I think nobody does anything till they get their fix of chai. With so much chai around, it was obvious that I grew up loving the drink as well. However my parents always drank the simple chai made with milk, water, sugar and loose tea leaves but I could somehow never like it that way. So when I grew up, I always tried making my own chai, sometimes with ginger, sometimes with cardamom and so on.

I love chai but it has to be flavored and my morning doesn’t start without a cup of masala chai. Because I loved flavored chai so much I keep experimenting with different spices and herbs in my chai. These days I have been making this basil ginger chai a lot and so I thought of sharing the recipe on the blog even though it’s pretty simple. This is how basic chai is made in India. Boil the milk and water together, add loose tea leaves and then once it all comes to a boil strain in a cup using a sieve. No wonder I always ask for my chai/coffee to be extra-hot here because we literally drink boiling tea!

The amount of tea leaves, sugar and milk can be adjusted to taste in this recipe for basil ginger tea. For a more milky tea, use 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup water. For a stronger chai, add in more loose tea leaves and then boil the tea for a longer time after adding in the tea leaves. See what works for you and adjust accordingly. This is a very refreshing combination and basil and ginger together definitely make the chai very flavorful. 1 cup of this in the morning makes me feel refreshed throughout the day!

Method

In a pan of medium heat, add water with grated ginger and chopped basil leaves.

Let the water boil for 2-3 minutes. This is important so that it absorb all the flavor of basil and ginger.

Add the milk [I used 1%] and let it come to a boil. Once the milk comes to a boil, let it boil for 3-4 minutes on medium-low heat.

Add the loose tea leaves. You can use black tea bags here too.

Let it all come to a final boil and then switch off the heat. Remember the more you boil the tea after adding tea leaves, the darker the chai will becomes, which means it will have a stronger tea flavor. So you choose if you want a lighter or a stronger chai.

Sieve the chai into your cup using a strainer.

Enjoy the refreshing basil ginger chai with some crispy cookies on the side!

* I have used loose tea leaves here because that’s what everyone uses in India. You can use 2 black tea bags in place.

* Reduce the quantity of tea leaves to 1 teaspoon for a lighter chai.