CORRECTION: I accidentally said Condensed Milk instead of evaporated milk in the authentic recipe. Make sure you use evaporated milk as written in the description.
Just wondering if we can make a fusion with Mexican chocolate.... I'm thinking the spices in chai would marry well with Mexican chocolate. You thoughts would be great to have 🙂
One suggestion for the real deal, never put saffron as is into the pot! Correct way to use saffron in Chai (or any dish) is to let them sit in a glass of hot (but NOT boiling) water for at least 5 minutes. Then, use the saffron water in the Chai. Otherwise saffron gives unwanted bitterness.
all he's using saffron for is as a food colouring for this *Amazing* terracotta colour its dumb you could just use cheap food dye and get the same result
That happens if you're not using the purest saffron that you can get in the mountains eg Manali or south India hill areas etc. I've been using it directly and it's never bitter.
@@azell2913 You realize saffron has a very distinct *taste*? It's not just a "food dye", even though it was used for clothing. It's one of my favorite spices for seafood.
Those spice trade routes over the Indian ocean are some of the more overlooked trading routes in world history. Everyone loves to talk about the silk road and European global maritime empires. But the two Indian ocean trade routes - Gulf to India and Red Sea to Zanzibar - were just as world-shaping.
They reached all the way to the port of Sofala in Southern Africa, and all the way to Australia. And it ran for many centuries, if not a millennia. It's downplayed because Europeans must project the primacy of their institutions.
In history class they teach us how our country, Kuwait, had a strategic role in the trade of spices between India and the Arabian Peninsula. We used to trade natural pearls for spices, until the Japanese invented artificial pearls so the demand for the real stuff plummeted.
Even for the sad old spices and English breakfast tea I used, both versions were delicious. I really appreciate how the simple version still makes a great drink. For all the work needed for the full version, definitely worth doubling- especially nice that I had a lovely hot cup on a day where the summer heat finally broke. Yaaay~
I just redid my recipe books and I realized that my very finest, treasured, and best-tasting recipes are from you. I am 70yo and started seriously collecting recipes at age 16, from all over the world. So, if anyone hasn’t told you how fabulous you are today . . . you are fabulous. ❤️ Thank you for making my home a hive of delicious-ness.
You should share the recipes that you have collected all these years and the stories behind them. I., personally, would look forward to something like that.
Hey, I missed your comment somehow, but I'm so glad I found it! Your comment really means the world to us, thank you for trying the recipes and thank you for letting us know how much they mean to you. We're honoured to be in your collection of recipes! Which ones are you favourite?
To elevate the recipe, heat the pot first and them add the tea leaves and spices. After a minute or two you’ll get a toasty, aromatic flavor. Right before it burns, pour in water. Enjoy! 🎉
A word for westerners looking to try this: that tea he's using is called CTC or "mamri" tea. It can be found in most Indian grocery stores in the west as brands like Danedar and Wagh Bakri. It's necessary b/c the strength of brew you get from normal loose leaf black tea will not cut through the dairy and spices.
well its pretty much the exact same version of Chai we make in India everyday...Karak Chai literally translates to Strong tea in Hindi...the only difference is we use regular milk instead of condensed milk and Saffron is optional...we also use loose black tea leaves to make chai in India instead of pods and i love that this version of chai is so popular in UAE too
my parents once told me that when they were young adults, their neighbor offered them some chai, and it was so thick, rich and sweet they didnt eat for the rest of the day 😂 they drank cups and cups because they were used to drinking chamomile
@@subhajit201 to each their own. Assam tea is stronger in taste, which makes it tastier with milk. Darjeeling tea tastes better without milk, or as we say laal chaa
I love your channel. You're a fantastic teacher and choose excellent, mouth-watering recipes for your channel and make them look easy enough to try and make- you have great judgement and such a great style. Much appreciated.
This particular tea, like no other food, gives a geographical tour of the subcontinent. Traditionally, the black tea came from the Himalayan foothills in the northeast, the cardamom from the tropical south, the saffron from Kashmir in the north, the sugar from the inland plains, and the whole milk would obviously be local. Interestingly, sugar (the term is derived from Hindi), first refined in India, was a big part of its trade with the Gulf for centuries. Similarly, ginger can be traced back to its Tamil root 'inji'.
@@trueraja >Mostly spices come from Kerala not tamilnadu The sources don't agree with this, Madhya Pradesh is the largest spice growing state, both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh produces more spices than Kerala or Tamil Nadu, even Gujarat produces more spices than Kerala and Tamil Nadu
@@debodatta7398 that's beside the point, they are referring to the origin of such spices, as in where they were first cultivated, and it is comparing between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It's not a competition anyways, speaking as a Tamil individual myself.
@@debodatta7398 anything come from Bengal 🧐 nope why you crying if really this State you mention in your comment have more spices then Kerala why no Europeans arrived there
Some people are more sensitive to certain flavors. When i prepare a chai for my sister, I make sure to let the milk foam up (which it will do more than once if you keep cooking it), because she loves the caramelized flavor of the boiled milk, and that's how you get that flavor. Another tip: the more fat you have in your milk, the more the spices get absorbed by it and disappear. Yet another tip: while you may want to totally avoid sugar, having a little in there helps bring out the spices. Final tip: you can use turmeric instead of saffron.
In my country Bangladesh, we make something similar to this called Moshla Cha (spice tea). But we don't use the repeated boiling method you showed so i will definitely be trying it the next time. Another popular tea over here is Gur Malai tea which is just black tea, date Molasses and evaporated milk brewed together. My personal favorite is citrus tea which is much lighter and dairy free. Just add citrus ( my fav is orange) and a bit of ginger and clove if you're feeling special. Everyone makes tea so differently it's always a treat to learn about other people's recipes.
I'm just now learning this. There are so many different ways to bring about a great tea. Thank you, I'll now look up all of those. Is there a strong coffee that is of Bangladeshi origin?
@@Abe262 historically we don't drink coffee over here in Bangladesh. So no local coffee recipes sadly. But we go crazy over tea and have so many versions. You can literally find tea with tamarind, chili, drinking chocolate, instant coffee and what not 😂.
i love the subtle wit and humour in your videos. it works so well because you aren't trying to be over the top funny/gimmicky. i've had a fair few chuckles with you, while drooling over your amazing recipes of course! keep doing you, Middle Eats team! love your work 🙌
Brooo you're the one with the 3 way crusty bread recipe tutorial. It turned out amazing thanks so muchhh. I had to check it's you I'm surprised to find you here ahaha
When I make chai I start by simmering the ginger and cardamom pods for about 5 minutes first before adding the tea. Simmer tea for a few minutes then add milk and simmer all together for another 5-10 min (depending on how strong you like the tea). I use regular milk, but in a 1/2 milk to 1/2 tea ratio. You can sweeten with sugar or honey. Thanks for the video!
@@MiddleEats I find the tea can get a bit bitter if you simmer for too long, that's why I like to start with the spices. I've never tried toasting them first. Will have to give that a try!
@@MiddleEats This here, especially the cardemom pods can really use some dry toasting if they're less aromatic because they tend to be a bit greedy on those tasty oils when it's cold.
@@MiddleEats I just finished making this tonight per your video and written recipe, and it was amazing. I can't wait to try toasting spices beforehand next time. I also used a bit more evaporated milk with mine because I didn't know what else to do with the remaining amount, so that gave it less of a terracotta color and probably made it less strong. Going to try adjusting by either adding more loose black tea this next time around or less evaporated milk. Either way, addicting is the perfect word for describing this drink.
This is superb - we need more tea recipes! Coming from a Egyptian tea aficionado who is learning to make a selection of different types from midde East and beyond
Try London Fog tea: 1. Brew a cup of Earl Grey 2. Take a separate cup of hot milk and add a few drops of vanilla essence. Let it sit and get absorbed into the milk. 3. Add the milk into your Earl Grey brew. Enjoy! 👍😎
@@direct.skc.2 ohhh I've been drinking earl grey almost everyday and wanted to spice it up a little bit to give it a new taste so that I don't get bored, I think I'm gonna try it this way -despite we don't have vanilla essence 💀-! Thank you for sharing!
in the subcontinent we also prefer drinking "doodh patti" which literally translates to milk tea. The steps in it are similar to the last one except water is not added. Instead, we directly add milk and let the tea boil. It's absolutely creamy and delicious. Although most of the time we don't add all these extra spices, just some tea, and sugar
⚠SOME SUGGESTIONS⚠ Rather than cutting and slicing the ginger, it's better to take similar or half the quantity of ginger and crushing it a little, just like how the cardamom pods were crushed. It releases more of its flavour this way, so use sparingly. Instead of putting the tea in plain water and boiling the mixture, you could boil the water first, then add tea leaves to the rolling boil water. This extracts a LOT of flavor very instantly (No kidding). If going this route, you can use condensed milk as you would not have to boil the mixture any further. Make sure to froth the mixture by pouring it between two glasses. Finally, rather than lifting the pot, you can also reduce the flame to medium/simmer and keep stirring the millk. Works the same way lol.
May i add to this boiling water first technique pls? Water, spices( + sugar n a puch of salt) , tea and fresh milk or milk frm tetra milk. Not condensed or evaporated milk but fresh milk u can add 1:1( for 2 cups of tea) water n milk. Personally i add half cup water to 1n half cup milk as i love milk n smtimes full milk no water. After sugar is added , boil furiously then simmer for a while . This will enhance the taste. Hope u try it ! ❤
Thank you for this! It was a bit strong for my preference, so when I made it a second time, I added about 1/3 cup more water and 1/3 less evaporated milk. Also added 3/4 of the sugar needed. For me that was perfect :)
Fun linguistic fact, tea is pretty much some variation of the word tea or chai. It depends on where in China your trade route originated. Variations of chai came overland through the spice road from the Sinitic Chinese word cha while tea comes from Min Nan pronunciation te which is found on the eastern coast. That pronunciation followed the European sailors (mostly Dutch) importing tea.
Also, always add the water first, let it boil and then add the pices first, quickly followed by the tea. Saves you time and results in the same exact strong dark brown tea liquor.
I just made this, but with rooibos and turbinado sugar instead as they were what I had on hand. Turned out completely unreal. Will do with your Ingredients later. Excited. I can't wait to see more of your channel.
you are my favourite cooking youtuber. Complete explanation and very good recipes. Love the recipes written in the description as well. I hate having to click on links to get to recipes.
That looks amazing. The evaporated tea makes it look like HK milk tea. I think I’ll enjoy this version more than the one with regular milk since it’ll be so much richer.
I have unknowingly been making this recipe for months and years after trying to imitate Indian Masala Chai. I also tend to double the spice to tea ratio but that's just me and my preferences.
Thats what this exactly is, its a renamed masala chai from india. They call it kadak chai which means 'strong tea'. India is divided between 2 kind of people, one that swear by tea only being good if its boiled multiple times and the other that prefer the consistency of water.
Fun Fact: the word 'Chai Karak' originally originated from India as well Chai means.. ykw and Karak or Kadak means strong. In Hindi it's Kadak Chai, literally meaning strong tea. And my goodness does the authentic recipe looks wonderful, what a colour! I'll try this ASAP!
@@adflix424 isn't boiled milk that's thickened called evaporated milk? I think he used that in this video and the original middle eastern recipe uses that
I actually love it so much, for me we usually put cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves same amount but without using ginger and saffron but before adding tea we usually roast the spices a little then boil them in water for 5-10 min then add the tea boil again and then add evaporated milk…etc anyway it really taste amazing especially it winter season!
I’m going to try this. I can’t forget the tea I had at my friend’s house. So rich and flavorful. I’m kinda sensitive with the spices, but my friend’s mom was so kind that she just did the tea, milk, and sugar, with a bit of cinnamon. Thank you!
I’m addicted to chai, but I have to make mine slightly different since I’m lactose intolerant. I usually use oat or coconut milk. I also sometimes add just a bit of vanilla paste at the end of boiling and stir it in. I know it’s not traditional, but it adds an extra depth of flavor and tastes delicious!!
How can one be lactose intolerant! I mean you literally drank your mother's milk after birth. This probably happens because of drinking grocery store milk available in American/European stores.
@@rajdas1201 Mammalian babies are not lactose intolerant. They need their mother’s milk to survive. However as they wean off milk and transition to other food sources, their body stops producing enzyme that digest lactose. It is the efficient thing to do. Why produce enzyme if we don’t need it. It’s the adult humans who digest cow milk lactose who are the true anomaly in nature. Humans started drinking other animal’s milk and its products and there was a mutation that enabled them to digest it beyond their infant phase.
@@rajdas1201 Lactose intolerance is actually the body's natural way of doing things. Lactose intolerance is the body naturally getting rid of the enzyme used to process milk while you're a baby, which is why you become lactose intolerant when you're just becoming a teen or around then. Asia has a pretty rate of lactose intolerance because they didn't get milk until much later, where in the west it's not as common to be lactose intolerant because of how common milk has been for centuries. So actually your comment is backwards. Lactose intolerance is the "normal" state for a body to be, not being lactose intolerant is the evolution weirdness happening.
Hello just a tip, I also don't drink milk and I have made milk tea using soy milk instead of cows milk. It is a much better alternative to oat and coconut milk because oat and coconut milk curdles under high temperatures while soy milk doesn't curdle and can even be boiled at high heat. Good luck with the recipe! :)
This looks so delicious it made me drink tea rn even though its part of my breakfast, without tea we can't breathe that's how much we love, chai is love.
I was introduced to Chai by The Great Mississippi Tea Company who has their own blend and it has become one of my top tea favorites. Especially in the fall. Good video thanks for sharing! Cheers!
I just made a variation of the authentic recipe to fit in my diet (need caffeine free, sugar free, and low fat). I used caffeine free tea, monk fruit sweetener, and fat free evaporated milk. I left out the saffron simply because it's expensive. This tea is addictively good! I may need to make a quadruple recipe to have ready to go in the fridge. So delicious!
I recommend you to try this 'milk' ; mixture of fresh milk, condensed and evaporated milk. Bigger part of fresh milk, the ratio of the other two depends on your preferences of sweetness and creaminess... It goes well with ice coffee and tea
My first try came out a little lighter in color than desired, I think I needed to let the sugar and tea mixture reduce more during that middle phase but I got shy and brought it to a bare simmer for those 5 minutes after seeing how quickly the reduction was taking place.. Or maybe just needed more heat on the final step with the evaporated milk. In any case it's just as addictive as advertised! I was thinking of this as a way to impress friends and family on occasion but this recipe might find its way into my weekday as well 😁
Hi Middle Eats! Great video, the color looks really appetizing and I will try to make this if I can find cardamom pods. I also wanted to ask you about the "ice cubes" you used. They looked kinda artificial and since I am looking for artificial ice cubes, and yours looked were very similar to real ones, I am wondering where you bought them? And if they were real ice cubes, please share a video of how you made them so perfectly transparent.
Put water in an insulated container, like a small cooler, and then put that in your freezer. The insulated container forces the water to freeze in such a way that prevents air bubbles from forming. Then i believe you aim to let the water freeze only most of the way, to avoid bubbles. At that point you take the ice brick out, and can cut out ice cubes from your chunk.
Video paused, literally jumping in my car to go get condensed milk from grocery so I can make this right away. For years I’ve tried to make the perfect spiced tea at home and I always fail, but I’ve never tried like this. Thanks for the great tip about omitting cinnamon, although I love it, I think it’s overpowering nature has been part of the problem for me. What a revelation! I wish we had wonderful tea like this readily available instead of the boring tea bags at coffee shops and restaurants. We sure don’t do tea right in North America. Can’t wait to try this.
Making this now for family who can't have sugar. I live right near a nice karak shop but now I can do a honey version! Really liked the presentation of this video, all your videos, and lovely drinking glasses too. Thanks!
I was in Dubai last November and totally blown away by that Chai. Unfortunately, our guide didn’t exactly know what’s in there. So thank you very much for your video.
@@tamobiswas6083 Iranians mostly drink regular black tea. You’ll see those in one of those fancy glass cups. They don’t drink doodh patti or anything that the people of the Indian subcontinent make in terms of tea.
Okay this recipe must be one of the best out there. Even if your ingredients aren't the best top quality this chai has a luxurious mouth feel and feels almost royal. It is definitely worth making.
Yummyyyy this reminds me of the karak i drink in Bahrain ALL THE TIME I’m currently in Syria for vacation and we don’t have karak here so I’m drinking maté instead XD Ps: Syrian cuisine is SCRUMPTIOUS
😂😂 watching from Assam, was interested to see a new way of making tea. But glat to see that our daily chai process is gaining popularity. Also, try adding bay leaf to your tea, it gives you a new flavour 👍
@@bibimbap5917 lol, you clearly haven't been to India.Except for Saffron, everything is used and sold at dirt cheap prices everywhere. Saffron is sold cheapest in India. Stop teaching people who literally started growing saffron and tea before anyone else.
same with malaysion version called teh tarik but without spices. some recipe just use condensed milk and some use both evaporated and condensed. You can try to pull the tea from teapot to cup to make foam and at the same time, it makes the tea not too hot so not need to wait for a long time to make it cooler.
I just made this for real for the first time. I didn't put cinnamon in it this time, I will have cinnamon in it soon. It was very rich without ice cubes. I will have to try it with ice cubes. It is so good! Delicious and aromatic and intoxicating in a good way. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
I see WHY this is one of your favourite drinks. I've never clicked on or commented on a video so quickly! I'd love to try this out once I can source some loose leaf assam. I love the smaller, possibly double walled tea glasses that you have.
It doesn't have to be Assam, we use it because it's very good quality black tea, but even Lipton or any black tea works. Try it with what you have, if you find it's weak, add more tea powder next time. Let me know how it turns out!
I've been having this for over 20 years now. Make at home in London. Here's a tip. Boil kettle water. Get your spice mix, put it in a pot with the spice mix, cover with a plate for around 10 minutes. Then use that water to make the tea. Your taste buds will thank me later. Also, you can make the lazy tea this way as well.
@@osirusj275 yes! Better yet, fine grind all the dry spices and mix them. And put them in an air tight jar. Every time you make tea add the powder last.
CORRECTION:
I accidentally said Condensed Milk instead of evaporated milk in the authentic recipe. Make sure you use evaporated milk as written in the description.
Just wondering if we can make a fusion with Mexican chocolate.... I'm thinking the spices in chai would marry well with Mexican chocolate.
You thoughts would be great to have 🙂
sigaporeans use condense milk
@@ChangedNames sounds delicious.
Ooh, that sounds nice : chaii spiced ice cream!
@@heersyal2454 i actually had some in Dubaï last year and it was phenomenal ! with a cardamom whipped cream. perfection.
One suggestion for the real deal, never put saffron as is into the pot! Correct way to use saffron in Chai (or any dish) is to let them sit in a glass of hot (but NOT boiling) water for at least 5 minutes. Then, use the saffron water in the Chai. Otherwise saffron gives unwanted bitterness.
all he's using saffron for is as a food colouring for this *Amazing* terracotta colour its dumb you could just use cheap food dye and get the same result
That happens if you're not using the purest saffron that you can get in the mountains eg Manali or south India hill areas etc.
I've been using it directly and it's never bitter.
@@ashwinkumar5065 I mostly buy Persian saffron and I always grind it in haman dista.
@@azell2913 You realize saffron has a very distinct *taste*? It's not just a "food dye", even though it was used for clothing. It's one of my favorite spices for seafood.
@@azell2913 no, the amount of saffron he used would add a strong flavor component to the drink.
Those spice trade routes over the Indian ocean are some of the more overlooked trading routes in world history. Everyone loves to talk about the silk road and European global maritime empires. But the two Indian ocean trade routes - Gulf to India and Red Sea to Zanzibar - were just as world-shaping.
Yeah the maritime silk road is amazing. So much trade occured both ways, taking ingredients like chickpeas and lentils east, and spices west
The Maritime silk road was 10x larger that the Silk road
They reached all the way to the port of Sofala in Southern Africa, and all the way to Australia. And it ran for many centuries, if not a millennia. It's downplayed because Europeans must project the primacy of their institutions.
Yea sadly my country was well aware of the spice trade routes 😅 Didn't make us very popular with our Eastern neighbours...
In history class they teach us how our country, Kuwait, had a strategic role in the trade of spices between India and the Arabian Peninsula. We used to trade natural pearls for spices, until the Japanese invented artificial pearls so the demand for the real stuff plummeted.
Can I just say, those clear ice were esthetically pleasing to see. I will definitely make this drink.
I'm pretty sure it was fake prop ice to make filming easier.
@@ActionCow69 ikr thats what i was thinking too... didn't seem to show any sign of melting with the hot tea, either
No if you use hot water to fill the tray the ice will be clear.
I think it's some kind of reusable plastic ice
Even for the sad old spices and English breakfast tea I used, both versions were delicious. I really appreciate how the simple version still makes a great drink. For all the work needed for the full version, definitely worth doubling- especially nice that I had a lovely hot cup on a day where the summer heat finally broke. Yaaay~
I just redid my recipe books and I realized that my very finest, treasured, and best-tasting recipes are from you.
I am 70yo and started seriously collecting recipes at age 16, from all over the world.
So, if anyone hasn’t told you how fabulous you are today . . . you are fabulous. ❤️
Thank you for making my home a hive of delicious-ness.
You should share the recipes that you have collected all these years and the stories behind them. I., personally, would look forward to something like that.
That’s super cool
Hey, I missed your comment somehow, but I'm so glad I found it! Your comment really means the world to us, thank you for trying the recipes and thank you for letting us know how much they mean to you. We're honoured to be in your collection of recipes! Which ones are you favourite?
This is so wholesome ❤
@@arunsar7893 "you should" is a little demanding no? Do whatever you like @hellogoodbye1335.
To elevate the recipe, heat the pot first and them add the tea leaves and spices. After a minute or two you’ll get a toasty, aromatic flavor. Right before it burns, pour in water. Enjoy! 🎉
A word for westerners looking to try this: that tea he's using is called CTC or "mamri" tea. It can be found in most Indian grocery stores in the west as brands like Danedar and Wagh Bakri. It's necessary b/c the strength of brew you get from normal loose leaf black tea will not cut through the dairy and spices.
well its pretty much the exact same version of Chai we make in India everyday...Karak Chai literally translates to Strong tea in Hindi...the only difference is we use regular milk instead of condensed milk and Saffron is optional...we also use loose black tea leaves to make chai in India instead of pods and i love that this version of chai is so popular in UAE too
Kadak*
what do you mean it translates to in hindi
karak chai (it is kadak (they pronounce D as R) chai) is a hindi noun
This is based on Masala Tea from Kerala/TN not Chai or Kadak Chai from North India
@@debodatta7398 seperatist right here
@@SourabhSharma4584 everywhere else they pronounce R as R, not D 😋
my parents once told me that when they were young adults, their neighbor offered them some chai, and it was so thick, rich and sweet they didnt eat for the rest of the day 😂 they drank cups and cups because they were used to drinking chamomile
I'm from Assam, and it makes me really proud and grateful to see Assam Tea rocking all over the world 😎🤙.
mm...hoi
Darjeeling tea wins hands down 😁
@@subhajit201 to each their own. Assam tea is stronger in taste, which makes it tastier with milk. Darjeeling tea tastes better without milk, or as we say laal chaa
@@Dev_712 bro there are different varieties of Darjeeling tea..
I need to get some Assam given what people are saying here.
I love your channel. You're a fantastic teacher and choose excellent, mouth-watering recipes for your channel and make them look easy enough to try and make- you have great judgement and such a great style. Much appreciated.
This particular tea, like no other food, gives a geographical tour of the subcontinent. Traditionally, the black tea came from the Himalayan foothills in the northeast, the cardamom from the tropical south, the saffron from Kashmir in the north, the sugar from the inland plains, and the whole milk would obviously be local. Interestingly, sugar (the term is derived from Hindi), first refined in India, was a big part of its trade with the Gulf for centuries. Similarly, ginger can be traced back to its Tamil root 'inji'.
And at the end your marie drops into the cup before you can bite it to complete the experience.
Mostly spices come from Kerala not tamilnadu
@@trueraja >Mostly spices come from Kerala not tamilnadu
The sources don't agree with this, Madhya Pradesh is the largest spice growing state, both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh produces more spices than Kerala or Tamil Nadu, even Gujarat produces more spices than Kerala and Tamil Nadu
@@debodatta7398 that's beside the point, they are referring to the origin of such spices, as in where they were first cultivated, and it is comparing between Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
It's not a competition anyways, speaking as a Tamil individual myself.
@@debodatta7398 anything come from Bengal 🧐 nope why you crying if really this State you mention in your comment have more spices then Kerala why no Europeans arrived there
Some people are more sensitive to certain flavors. When i prepare a chai for my sister, I make sure to let the milk foam up (which it will do more than once if you keep cooking it), because she loves the caramelized flavor of the boiled milk, and that's how you get that flavor. Another tip: the more fat you have in your milk, the more the spices get absorbed by it and disappear. Yet another tip: while you may want to totally avoid sugar, having a little in there helps bring out the spices. Final tip: you can use turmeric instead of saffron.
Great video, well explained, authentic taste, so delicious. Thanks so much!
Excellent tutorial. Thank you!
"I'm always miserable so I don't leave mine to brew much" had me dying 😂😂😂
Same!
I came to the comments section immediately after I heard that hahaha
lol had to rewatch just because i missed this little bit. hilarious
I was so not expecting that kind of humor from a video on this channel. Made it that much funnier!
I literally read this comment in sync as he said it in the video.. trippy
In my country Bangladesh, we make something similar to this called Moshla Cha (spice tea). But we don't use the repeated boiling method you showed so i will definitely be trying it the next time. Another popular tea over here is Gur Malai tea which is just black tea, date Molasses and evaporated milk brewed together. My personal favorite is citrus tea which is much lighter and dairy free. Just add citrus ( my fav is orange) and a bit of ginger and clove if you're feeling special. Everyone makes tea so differently it's always a treat to learn about other people's recipes.
Same thing from India.
I'm just now learning this. There are so many different ways to bring about a great tea. Thank you, I'll now look up all of those. Is there a strong coffee that is of Bangladeshi origin?
@@Abe262 historically we don't drink coffee over here in Bangladesh. So no local coffee recipes sadly. But we go crazy over tea and have so many versions. You can literally find tea with tamarind, chili, drinking chocolate, instant coffee and what not 😂.
Very interesting indeed 😊. Do you have the exact recipe for that citrus tea?
In India we have repeating boiling but also add mint leaves if possible and use regular milk.
I've never tried Karak Chai so I decided to make this today. Turned out so good! Thank you for this recipe.
I love the look of that caramel color. I soo want to make this now!
i love the subtle wit and humour in your videos. it works so well because you aren't trying to be over the top funny/gimmicky. i've had a fair few chuckles with you, while drooling over your amazing recipes of course! keep doing you, Middle Eats team! love your work 🙌
These are some of my favourite videos!!
SICK VID OBI! Makes we really want to head to Mideast to get some from one of those shops you mentioned.
Y’all should do a trip together
Brooo you're the one with the 3 way crusty bread recipe tutorial. It turned out amazing thanks so muchhh. I had to check it's you I'm surprised to find you here ahaha
Wow didn’t expect to see my man B jn there comments here. 2024 collab let’s go!🎉🎉
Just 'discovered' your channel. Great stuff, thanks for sharing
I made both of these today!! Can say I loved both versions :))
When I make chai I start by simmering the ginger and cardamom pods for about 5 minutes first before adding the tea. Simmer tea for a few minutes then add milk and simmer all together for another 5-10 min (depending on how strong you like the tea). I use regular milk, but in a 1/2 milk to 1/2 tea ratio. You can sweeten with sugar or honey. Thanks for the video!
That's a good idea to increase the spice flavour. You can also dry toast the spices first
@@MiddleEats I find the tea can get a bit bitter if you simmer for too long, that's why I like to start with the spices. I've never tried toasting them first. Will have to give that a try!
wait a minute...is that a superstore reference in your username?
@@MiddleEats This here, especially the cardemom pods can really use some dry toasting if they're less aromatic because they tend to be a bit greedy on those tasty oils when it's cold.
@@MiddleEats I just finished making this tonight per your video and written recipe, and it was amazing. I can't wait to try toasting spices beforehand next time. I also used a bit more evaporated milk with mine because I didn't know what else to do with the remaining amount, so that gave it less of a terracotta color and probably made it less strong. Going to try adjusting by either adding more loose black tea this next time around or less evaporated milk. Either way, addicting is the perfect word for describing this drink.
This is superb - we need more tea recipes! Coming from a Egyptian tea aficionado who is learning to make a selection of different types from midde East and beyond
Try London Fog tea:
1. Brew a cup of Earl Grey
2. Take a separate cup of hot milk and add a few drops of vanilla essence. Let it sit and get absorbed into the milk.
3. Add the milk into your Earl Grey brew.
Enjoy! 👍😎
@@direct.skc.2 ohhh I've been drinking earl grey almost everyday and wanted to spice it up a little bit to give it a new taste so that I don't get bored, I think I'm gonna try it this way -despite we don't have vanilla essence 💀-! Thank you for sharing!
Love watching your videos! Keep up the good work 😊
in the subcontinent we also prefer drinking "doodh patti" which literally translates to milk tea. The steps in it are similar to the last one except water is not added. Instead, we directly add milk and let the tea boil. It's absolutely creamy and delicious. Although most of the time we don't add all these extra spices, just some tea, and sugar
milk tea is also a big thing in China and Japan, likewise they don't have spices
In Hong Kong we also use evaporated and/or condensed milk to make Hong Kong style milk tea!
Oooh I didn't know that.
same for in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand...I'm guessing most parts of South East Asia. In coffee and tea drinks.
They actually add evaporated milk in the arabian gulf countries too.
I just made the quick version and added cloves! Delicious, thanks Obi!
⚠SOME SUGGESTIONS⚠
Rather than cutting and slicing the ginger, it's better to take similar or half the quantity of ginger and crushing it a little, just like how the cardamom pods were crushed. It releases more of its flavour this way, so use sparingly.
Instead of putting the tea in plain water and boiling the mixture, you could boil the water first, then add tea leaves to the rolling boil water. This extracts a LOT of flavor very instantly (No kidding). If going this route, you can use condensed milk as you would not have to boil the mixture any further. Make sure to froth the mixture by pouring it between two glasses.
Finally, rather than lifting the pot, you can also reduce the flame to medium/simmer and keep stirring the millk. Works the same way lol.
This comment is more useful than the video
Only true Indian can tell how make chai correctly lol....
Good advice, however the last one might not work if you have an electric stove top.
May i add to this boiling water first technique pls? Water, spices( + sugar n a puch of salt) , tea and fresh milk or milk frm tetra milk. Not condensed or evaporated milk but fresh milk u can add 1:1( for 2 cups of tea) water n milk. Personally i add half cup water to 1n half cup milk as i love milk n smtimes full milk no water. After sugar is added , boil furiously then simmer for a while . This will enhance the taste. Hope u try it ! ❤
Induction stoves suck at simmering or slow cooking. Even the simmer option in ours just turns it on and off
Ép megföztem ..jó finom.. köszi a receptet..
Thank you for this! It was a bit strong for my preference, so when I made it a second time, I added about 1/3 cup more water and 1/3 less evaporated milk. Also added 3/4 of the sugar needed. For me that was perfect :)
Fun linguistic fact, tea is pretty much some variation of the word tea or chai. It depends on where in China your trade route originated. Variations of chai came overland through the spice road from the Sinitic Chinese word cha while tea comes from Min Nan pronunciation te which is found on the eastern coast. That pronunciation followed the European sailors (mostly Dutch) importing tea.
The correct word is Cha. Everyone in the Himalyan belt knows it. The rest are just copycats who want to use Persian terminology.
Tea=chai, chai=tea
And then in polish it’s herbata 😂😂 always needing to be different!
@valf156115 except its still tea, herbaTA derived from Tea.
@@sepi846 we also use cha
That's a beautiful caramel color!!! Love it!
I tried it ! , and omg was it good , thank you so sooo much for making this recipe man
Also, always add the water first, let it boil and then add the pices first, quickly followed by the tea. Saves you time and results in the same exact strong dark brown tea liquor.
I really miss the chai I got in Baghdad. I'd get that and falafel almost every time I went out. The tea and bread they used were very unique.
I’m addicted to your videos. Just discovered you and I’m buying all the stuff to make this tea.
I just made this, but with rooibos and turbinado sugar instead as they were what I had on hand.
Turned out completely unreal. Will do with your Ingredients later. Excited. I can't wait to see more of your channel.
you are my favourite cooking youtuber. Complete explanation and very good recipes. Love the recipes written in the description as well. I hate having to click on links to get to recipes.
Me too! I like how he gave two ways also. One when you are in a hurry and the other when you have time to relax.
That looks amazing. The evaporated tea makes it look like HK milk tea. I think I’ll enjoy this version more than the one with regular milk since it’ll be so much richer.
Aaaand saved! Going to be making this one for sure!
Looks lovely, I must try this 👍✨thank you
I have unknowingly been making this recipe for months and years after trying to imitate Indian Masala Chai. I also tend to double the spice to tea ratio but that's just me and my preferences.
Too me
Thats what this exactly is, its a renamed masala chai from india. They call it kadak chai which means 'strong tea'. India is divided between 2 kind of people, one that swear by tea only being good if its boiled multiple times and the other that prefer the consistency of water.
Fun Fact: the word 'Chai Karak' originally originated from India as well Chai means.. ykw and Karak or Kadak means strong. In Hindi it's Kadak Chai, literally meaning strong tea.
And my goodness does the authentic recipe looks wonderful, what a colour! I'll try this ASAP!
would you say the condensed milk is authentic disregarding all the other ingredients
@@Abdullah-zr7mw Inauthentic recipe
Condensed milk isn't an Indian innovation. Rather, we boil the milk till it thickens a little
@@adflix424 isn't boiled milk that's thickened called evaporated milk? I think he used that in this video and the original middle eastern recipe uses that
@@islandsunset yup
@@islandsunset he is also boiling the condensed packet of milk, instead of condensed milk we use direct cow milk
I actually love it so much, for me we usually put cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves same amount but without using ginger and saffron but before adding tea we usually roast the spices a little then boil them in water for 5-10 min then add the tea boil again and then add evaporated milk…etc anyway it really taste amazing especially it winter season!
I’m going to try this. I can’t forget the tea I had at my friend’s house. So rich and flavorful. I’m kinda sensitive with the spices, but my friend’s mom was so kind that she just did the tea, milk, and sugar, with a bit of cinnamon. Thank you!
I’m addicted to chai, but I have to make mine slightly different since I’m lactose intolerant. I usually use oat or coconut milk. I also sometimes add just a bit of vanilla paste at the end of boiling and stir it in. I know it’s not traditional, but it adds an extra depth of flavor and tastes delicious!!
How can one be lactose intolerant! I mean you literally drank your mother's milk after birth. This probably happens because of drinking grocery store milk available in American/European stores.
@@rajdas1201 Mammalian babies are not lactose intolerant. They need their mother’s milk to survive. However as they wean off milk and transition to other food sources, their body stops producing enzyme that digest lactose. It is the efficient thing to do. Why produce enzyme if we don’t need it.
It’s the adult humans who digest cow milk lactose who are the true anomaly in nature. Humans started drinking other animal’s milk and its products and there was a mutation that enabled them to digest it beyond their infant phase.
@@rajdas1201 Lactose intolerance is actually the body's natural way of doing things. Lactose intolerance is the body naturally getting rid of the enzyme used to process milk while you're a baby, which is why you become lactose intolerant when you're just becoming a teen or around then.
Asia has a pretty rate of lactose intolerance because they didn't get milk until much later, where in the west it's not as common to be lactose intolerant because of how common milk has been for centuries.
So actually your comment is backwards. Lactose intolerance is the "normal" state for a body to be, not being lactose intolerant is the evolution weirdness happening.
Hello just a tip, I also don't drink milk and I have made milk tea using soy milk instead of cows milk. It is a much better alternative to oat and coconut milk because oat and coconut milk curdles under high temperatures while soy milk doesn't curdle and can even be boiled at high heat. Good luck with the recipe! :)
@@burningflower1At least over here you can get barista versions of vegan milk which are designed to be used under high temps!
This looks so delicious it made me drink tea rn even though its part of my breakfast, without tea we can't breathe that's how much we love, chai is love.
hahaha me too i also like to dip the bread in the chai and eat it
very nice.
Thank You.
I was introduced to Chai by The Great Mississippi Tea Company who has their own blend and it has become one of my top tea favorites. Especially in the fall. Good video thanks for sharing! Cheers!
I just made a variation of the authentic recipe to fit in my diet (need caffeine free, sugar free, and low fat). I used caffeine free tea, monk fruit sweetener, and fat free evaporated milk. I left out the saffron simply because it's expensive. This tea is addictively good! I may need to make a quadruple recipe to have ready to go in the fridge. So delicious!
I recommend you to try this 'milk' ; mixture of fresh milk, condensed and evaporated milk. Bigger part of fresh milk, the ratio of the other two depends on your preferences of sweetness and creaminess...
It goes well with ice coffee and tea
Love your glassware set! So fancy.
Just made this tea at 2.30am cuz I was craving and it turned out perfect!
Absolutely love different kinds of chai, this sounds delicious!
Thanks, hope you try it
And if anyone is looking for a vegan/dairy free version, you can use evaporated or sweetened condensed coconut milk
Oat milk also works well
This looks wonderful! The process reminds me a lot of Turkish coffee.
I just made chai karak using this recipe with evaporated milk and let me just say it’s amazing. Worth the effort 😋
I’m so making this today and now I really want to make ice cream with it! Thanks
Hope you liked it
My first try came out a little lighter in color than desired, I think I needed to let the sugar and tea mixture reduce more during that middle phase but I got shy and brought it to a bare simmer for those 5 minutes after seeing how quickly the reduction was taking place.. Or maybe just needed more heat on the final step with the evaporated milk. In any case it's just as addictive as advertised! I was thinking of this as a way to impress friends and family on occasion but this recipe might find its way into my weekday as well 😁
Chai is an emotion
I'm definitely going to go make this for my afternoon pick me up now!
For me green cardamom, star anise combined with my local black tea makes my favorite milk tea.
Ah that sounds delicious!
Allspice, green cardamom and dried ginger is my favorite combo
Dried ginger would get rid of some of the heat which works so well in the tea
I used star anise in karak before and I find that it overpowers the other flavours.
Hi Middle Eats! Great video, the color looks really appetizing and I will try to make this if I can find cardamom pods. I also wanted to ask you about the "ice cubes" you used. They looked kinda artificial and since I am looking for artificial ice cubes, and yours looked were very similar to real ones, I am wondering where you bought them? And if they were real ice cubes, please share a video of how you made them so perfectly transparent.
Put water in an insulated container, like a small cooler, and then put that in your freezer. The insulated container forces the water to freeze in such a way that prevents air bubbles from forming. Then i believe you aim to let the water freeze only most of the way, to avoid bubbles. At that point you take the ice brick out, and can cut out ice cubes from your chunk.
my mom randomly started bringing this stuff home when I was a teenager and i can confirm it is addictive lol
Love this where did u buy those glasses they look amazing keep this up
I'm going to try turn this into an IceCream!! Thanks for the idea so good. Also the colour looks amazing
Let us know how it turns out!
Video paused, literally jumping in my car to go get condensed milk from grocery so I can make this right away.
For years I’ve tried to make the perfect spiced tea at home and I always fail, but I’ve never tried like this. Thanks for the great tip about omitting cinnamon, although I love it, I think it’s overpowering nature has been part of the problem for me. What a revelation!
I wish we had wonderful tea like this readily available instead of the boring tea bags at coffee shops and restaurants. We sure don’t do tea right in North America.
Can’t wait to try this.
Dont ever make tea with condensed milk..
Making this now for family who can't have sugar. I live right near a nice karak shop but now I can do a honey version! Really liked the presentation of this video, all your videos, and lovely drinking glasses too. Thanks!
Honey has sugar. Or did you mean making it for your family and honey version as separate things?
Yes Chai Karak my favorite drink I buy Stash Chai Spice Black Tea and use condensed milk it is quick fast and amazing
Haven't tried that tea, but sounds good!
That 'Assam Tea' you mentioned is produced in my state named (obviously) "ASSAM" situated in Eastern part of India
OMG....this looks amazing!
The color looks beautiful
Try adding one Star anise next time - you’ll love the flavor. 🤤 ☕️
I was in Dubai last November and totally blown away by that Chai. Unfortunately, our guide didn’t exactly know what’s in there. So thank you very much for your video.
So you liked it?
@@kevinfernandez9999 Yeah
This looks amazing
Looking good!
I love chai tea!
As a Pakistani, watching someone make Chai is always pleasing. Also, we just call it Doodh Patti here.
Bhai. Doodh patti me pura doodh se hi chai banti hai. Paani nahi dalta. Correct me if I'm wrong. It tastes delicious. Irani chai bhi masst hoti hai
@@tamobiswas6083 Iranians mostly drink regular black tea. You’ll see those in one of those fancy glass cups. They don’t drink doodh patti or anything that the people of the Indian subcontinent make in terms of tea.
Not at all, we do not call that doodh patti, doodh patti has milk as base while chai has water AND milk.
@@tamobiswas6083 It can be. Depends on the family.
@@Mike_Hawk1 ok. They don't drink. They make us drink Mawa based chai in the name of Irani chai. But it's awesome anyways
Thanks for the recipe!
I have to try the Karak Chai one, it reminds me of the Thai Chai version
Okay this recipe must be one of the best out there. Even if your ingredients aren't the best top quality this chai has a luxurious mouth feel and feels almost royal. It is definitely worth making.
Yummyyyy this reminds me of the karak i drink in Bahrain ALL THE TIME I’m currently in Syria for vacation and we don’t have karak here so I’m drinking maté instead XD
Ps: Syrian cuisine is SCRUMPTIOUS
The taste of karak chai on a cold winter season in the GCC is an amazing experience. Evaporated milk is a must while making karak chai.
That looks so good. My black tea (bags) has never looked that color
Love it!
Looks very delicious 👌🏻 Greetings from Scotland 😊 Have a great day everyone 🌻
Hello to you from USA
😂😂 watching from Assam, was interested to see a new way of making tea. But glat to see that our daily chai process is gaining popularity. Also, try adding bay leaf to your tea, it gives you a new flavour 👍
...it was brought over by Indians that have been there for a while.
Pitha aru gakhir saah.k horabo nearest kintu
Now fake assam and darjeeling tea spreading too fast in india via nepal ... so assam and darjeeling tea estates profit down due to fake tea import
I need this tea pitcher in my life!
i enjoyed this conversation
Here in India this chai is available at a throwaway price at every corner of any city or any village.
@@bibimbap5917 lol, you clearly haven't been to India.Except for Saffron, everything is used and sold at dirt cheap prices everywhere. Saffron is sold cheapest in India. Stop teaching people who literally started growing saffron and tea before anyone else.
@@shudhanshuverma8244 Ehhhh. We grew tea because of the colonizers. Tea was discovered in China. Stop acting like we own the ingredients.
same with malaysion version called teh tarik but without spices. some recipe just use condensed milk and some use both evaporated and condensed. You can try to pull the tea from teapot to cup to make foam and at the same time, it makes the tea not too hot so not need to wait for a long time to make it cooler.
Yes I've had that before, Thai tea is also similar
@@MiddleEats yep. But thai one had some additions such as jasmine. Anyway, nice video
dang, that chai tea looks amazing!
I just made this for real for the first time. I didn't put cinnamon in it this time, I will have cinnamon in it soon. It was very rich without ice cubes. I will have to try it with ice cubes. It is so good! Delicious and aromatic and intoxicating in a good way. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Reminds me the latest spiderman multiverse movie
I am addidct to Karak . Every time I go to Ymeni restaurants, I have to order one after a meal and one to go :D😂
Ahaha that's awesome. They call it Shay Adeni right?
That teapot is gorgeous
I see WHY this is one of your favourite drinks. I've never clicked on or commented on a video so quickly! I'd love to try this out once I can source some loose leaf assam.
I love the smaller, possibly double walled tea glasses that you have.
It doesn't have to be Assam, we use it because it's very good quality black tea, but even Lipton or any black tea works. Try it with what you have, if you find it's weak, add more tea powder next time.
Let me know how it turns out!
I've been having this for over 20 years now. Make at home in London. Here's a tip. Boil kettle water. Get your spice mix, put it in a pot with the spice mix, cover with a plate for around 10 minutes. Then use that water to make the tea. Your taste buds will thank me later. Also, you can make the lazy tea this way as well.
Adding spices in last stages keeps most of the flavour. If you add at the start the aroma oils evaporate...
keeping lid on also helps.
@@GhostsOfSparta so after water boiled puy the tea 1st, then another 2 min later put the spices?
@@osirusj275 yes!
Better yet, fine grind all the dry spices and mix them. And put them in an air tight jar.
Every time you make tea add the powder last.