Chai
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp loose leaf tea (or 2 tea bags)
- 4–5 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 small piece of ginger, crushed (about 1 tsp)
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 2–3 cloves
- 2 tsp sugar (or to taste)
Steps
- 1
Crush the spices
Lightly crush the cardamom, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon in a mortar and pestle or with the back of a spoon. This releases the essential oils that give masala chai its aroma.
- 2
Boil water in the kettle
Add 2 cups of water to your electric kettle along with the crushed spices and tea leaves. Turn on the kettle. Most kettles will boil and auto-shut-off.
- 3
Steep the tea
After the kettle shuts off, leave the tea and spices to steep inside the kettle for 3–5 minutes with the lid closed. The longer you steep, the stronger the tea.
- 4
Heat the milk
While the tea steeps, heat milk in a separate small kettle, electric jug, or microwave until it is hot but not boiling.
- 5
Combine and sweeten
Strain the tea concentrate through a fine strainer into your cups. Top up with hot milk. Add sugar to taste and stir well.
- 6
Serve hot
Drink immediately while hot. Serve with biscuits or rusk for the full experience.
Tips for Best Results
💡 Use fresh ginger
Fresh ginger makes a noticeable difference in aroma and taste compared to ginger powder. Even a small thumb-sized piece elevates the chai significantly.
💡 Steep longer for stronger chai
If you like strong, colour-dark tea, steep for 5–7 minutes. For milder chai, 2–3 minutes is enough.
💡 Do not boil milk in the kettle
Standard electric kettles are not designed for milk — it foams and can damage the heating element. Always heat milk separately.
💡 Pre-warm your cups
Pour a splash of hot water into your cups, swirl, and discard before adding chai. This keeps the tea hotter for longer.
About this recipe ↓About this recipe ↑
Can You Make Proper Chai in an Electric Kettle?
Most Indians assume a good cup of chai requires a gas stove, a pan, and the ability to simmer milk slowly while watching it every second. But with LPG shortages making cylinders hard to get, electric kettles have become the unexpected hero of the Indian kitchen.
The answer is yes — you can make real masala chai in an electric kettle. It will taste slightly different from the stovetop version (less reduction, different milk texture), but it will be strong, flavourful, and satisfying. Many people actually prefer the cleaner, lighter taste.
The key is to steep the tea and spices in just water first, then add warm milk separately or steep together. Both approaches are explained below.
Which Method to Use
There are two ways to make kettle chai. The first — and easier — method is to brew tea concentrate in the kettle and mix it with hot milk heated separately in another kettle or electric jug. The second is to use a special "boil-dry" style kettle that can handle milk, though most standard kettles are not designed for this.
We recommend Method 1 (tea + separate milk) for most people. It works with any kettle, produces great results, and protects your appliance.
More details ↓More details ↑
The Electric Kettle Is More Versatile Than You Think
Most people only use their electric kettle to boil water for instant coffee or noodles. But during India's LPG shortage, this humble appliance has become a cooking station for everything from chai to eggs to oats.
Explore our full range of electric kettle recipes below, and discover what else you can cook without gas.
