Kesar chai is a rich and fragrant Indian tea which is made by slow boiling full cream milk along with tea leaves, saffron strands, and a hand crushed mixture of whole spices. The royal style and tasty tea gets its unique flavor and warmth from the combination of green cardamom, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and a little bit of freshly grated nutmeg. Besides giving a lovely golden color, the saffron also imparts the aroma and the depth of the flavor. My simple recipe will be really helpful for you if you want to learn the steps to make kesar chai or tea at home.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Kesar chai is a popular and comforting Indian tea, especially enjoyed during winters and festive occasions.
- Serve it with toasts, rusk, cookies, or lightly salted biscuits for the best experience.
- The taste of Kesar chai is rich, creamy, aromatic, and mildly spiced with a soothing saffron flavor.
- Other similar recipes are masala chai, Kashmiri kahwa, elaichi chai, and ginger tea.
The Ingredients:
- 1 tsp tea leaves
- ½ cup water
- ½ liter milk (full cream)
- 4 pieces green cardamom
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 10 black peppercorns
- 4 pieces cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon stick (1 inch size)
- Nutmeg (a quarter)
- 10 strands saffron threads
- 1 piece ginger (1 inch size)
- 2.5 tsp sugar
That winter day at my cousin’s house is when I met this kesar chai for the first time. A deep smell of saffron and warm spices pulled me into the kitchen right away. Her method had layers, not just ingredients. She showed how breaking each spice open changes its voice in the mix. Since then, that little notebook of mine has held every part of her process, written page by page. After trying it myself, small shifts crept in ways my own family likes it better now and again.
The following weekend, once everyone was back under one roof – my husband and both boys – I gave it another go. It came together just right – rich scent and smooth texture, exactly what I had imagined. My husband liked how bold it tasted and the cozy heat it carried, while one child smiled at the gentle sugar note and the other kept sniffing the golden threads steeped inside. Their faces lit up in different ways, yet equally bright. That moment folded into memory easily, without fuss. Luck played its part, maybe. Gratitude sat close by. A drink like this, now requested more than once, feels less like a result and more like something found.
How to Make Kesar Chai? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: In a saucepan, take ½ cup of water and ½ cup of full cream milk. Boil them for about 10 minutes on a medium flame. Stir it continuously to prevent malai from forming.
Step 2: By the time the milk comes to a boil, quickly put 4 pieces of green cardamom, 1 tsp of fennel seeds, 10 pieces of black peppercorns, 4 pieces of cloves, and 1 piece of cinnamon stick (1 inch size) at first in a traditional mortar and pestle and crush them coarsely. Then, add 1 piece of ginger (1 inch in size) to the powder and crush it as well.
Step 3: Keep an eye on the milk all the time, stirring in between. By this time, the milk should have reduced and thickened. Check the consistency.
Step 4: Now, add the crushed spices and 1 tsp of tea leaves to the hot milk. Mix them nicely with the milk and stir continuously to boil it for another 7 to 8 minutes until the chai has a nice vibrant color.
Step 5: After 8 minutes, add 10 strands of saffron threads to the tea and grate a quarter of a whole nutmeg as well at this stage. Mix them nicely.
(Pro tip: If you want kesar tea without sugar, you may strain and serve it at this stage).
Step 6: Now, add 2.5 tsp of sugar to the tea and mix well. Let the chai cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on a medium flame. Check the final consistency before straining the tea.
Step 7: Your delicious homemade kesar chai is ready to enjoy. Strain it into glasses or cups as you like and serve hot with toast or biscuits.
Recipe Card
Kesar Chai
Ingredients
- 1 tsp tea leaves
- ½ cup water
- ½ liter milk full cream
- 4 pieces green cardamom
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 10 black peppercorns
- 4 pieces cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon stick 1 inch size
- Nutmeg a quarter
- 10 strands saffron threads
- 1 piece ginger 1 inch size
- 2.5 tsp sugar
Instructions
- In a saucepan, take ½ cup of water and ½ cup of full cream milk. Boil them for about 10 minutes on a medium flame. Stir it continuously to prevent malai from forming.
- By the time the milk comes to a boil, quickly put 4 pieces of green cardamom, 1 tsp of fennel seeds, 10 pieces of black peppercorns, 4 pieces of cloves, and 1 piece of cinnamon stick (1 inch size) at first in a traditional mortar and pestle and crush them coarsely. Then, add 1 piece of ginger (1 inch size) to the powder and crush it as well.
- Keep an eye on the milk all the time, stirring in between. By this time, the milk should have reduced and thickened. Check the consistency.
- Now, add the crushed spices and 1 tsp of tea leaves to the hot milk. Mix them nicely with the milk and stir continuously boil it for another 7 to 8 minutes until the chai has a nice vibrant color.
- After 8 minutes, add 10 strands of saffron threads to the tea and grate a quarter of a whole nutmeg as well at this stage. Mix them nicely. (Pro tip: If you want kesar tea without sugar, you may strain and serve it at this stage).
- Now, add 2.5 tsp of sugar to the tea and mix well. Let the chai cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on a medium flame. Check the final consistency before straining the tea.
- Your delicious homemade kesar chai is ready to enjoy. Strain it in glasses or cups as you like and serve hot with toasts or biscuits.
