Chai made with whole spices and simmered properly is a different drink from the teabag version. It takes about 15 minutes and the result is worth it. This is the method Beatriz uses at home in Belo Horizonte, adjusted over about three years of making it most mornings.

The spices you need

For two cups of chai: 3 green cardamom pods (cracked), 1 small cinnamon stick (about 5cm), 4 whole cloves, a 1cm piece of fresh ginger (sliced thin), and 6 whole black peppercorns. These are the core. Some people add star anise, some add fennel seed. Start with the core and adjust from there. The cardamom is the most important element: use whole pods, not pre-ground powder, and crack them with the flat of a knife before adding.

The method

Bring 300ml of water to a boil with all the whole spices. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of strong black tea (Assam works well) and simmer for another 2 minutes. Add 200ml of whole milk and bring back to just below a boil, stirring. Do not let it boil hard or the milk will skin. Strain into cups. Sweeten with jaggery or unrefined cane sugar if you want it sweet. Refined white sugar works but tastes flatter.

Common mistakes

Using pre-ground spices: the aromatics are mostly gone by the time they reach the cup. Not simmering long enough: 5 minutes is the minimum for the whole spices to release properly. Adding the milk too early: milk added before the spices have simmered will dilute the extraction. Using low-fat milk: the fat in whole milk carries the fat-soluble aromatic compounds from the spices. Skimmed milk makes a thinner, less aromatic cup.

Adjusting for your taste

More cardamom makes it more floral and eucalyptus-forward. More ginger makes it spicier and warmer. More clove makes it more medicinal (use sparingly). More cinnamon makes it sweeter and rounder. The ratio of water to milk affects strength: more water and less milk gives a lighter, more tea-forward cup. More milk gives a creamier, spice-forward cup. Write down what you do each time until you find your ratio.

Using the Kerala cardamom from our shop

The Idukki district cardamom we stock has a particularly strong eucalyptus note. In chai, this means you can use slightly fewer pods than a recipe might suggest: two pods instead of three is often enough. Crack them just before adding to the water, not in advance. The volatile compounds start to escape as soon as the pod is opened, so timing matters even at this small scale.

The Kerala green cardamom from the November 2025 harvest is in stock now. It is the spice this recipe is built around.