Recipes
Indian Chai
2 large servings or 4 Indian-size servings
15-30 min
Easy
Chai is a routine in Indian homes. It needs good-quality, fresh loose-tea leaves, a well-balanced chai spice blend (chai masala), and a long boiling time to develop the flavor. Traditional Indian chai spice tends to be heavy on cardamom and light on cinnamon, but you can try any blend you like. Loose tea varies in flavor and strength, so adjust the amount according to your preference.
While it may seem cumbersome to make chai in an Instant Pot, the recipe is easily doubled, tripled, or quadrupled, making it handy for entertaining. The number of times my mom would make huge pots of chai during the holiday season was reason enough to have a hands-free option.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine the nondairy milk, water, chai masala, and sugar in an Instant Pot and mix well. Place the loose-leaf tea and ginger in a spice bag or tea infuser and add to the pot; if using tea bags, add them and the ginger directly to the pot. Lock the lid into place, set the pressure release nob to Sealing, select the Pressure Cook/Manual setting at High pressure, and set the cook time to 3 minutes (4 minutes for stronger tea).
- Once the cooking cycle is done, let the pressure release naturally for 2 minutes, then carefully set the pressure release knob from Sealing to Venting and release in short bursts to release any remaining pressure. Open the lid and remove the spice bag, if using. If you placed the tea bags and ginger directly in the pot to heat, remove the bags and strain out the ginger before serving. Pour the chai into cups and serve.
- Chai is freezer-friendly; you can make larger portions at a time, freeze, then reheat to serve.
Notes
NOTES
To make chai masala for a single batch, combine 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom with generous pinches of ground cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Or swap in two cardamom pods, opened, one whole clove, and one-quarter of a cinnamon stick. Scale up as needed. I use a tea infuser to avoid needing to strain the hot tea before serving., PER SERVING
With almond milk:
Calories: 61
Total Fat: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 210 mg
Carbs: 7 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sugar: 6 g
Protein: 1 g
To make chai masala for a single batch, combine 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom with generous pinches of ground cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Or swap in two cardamom pods, opened, one whole clove, and one-quarter of a cinnamon stick. Scale up as needed. I use a tea infuser to avoid needing to strain the hot tea before serving., PER SERVING
With almond milk:
Calories: 61
Total Fat: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 210 mg
Carbs: 7 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sugar: 6 g
Protein: 1 g
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About the chef
Richa Hingle
Richa Hingle is an award-winning recipe developer, blogger, and photographer behind the popular website VeganRicha.com. Known for her easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photographs, Richa's recipes have empowered millions of readers to explore cooking, even for the first time. She specializes in showcasing how simple and delicious vegan Indian and other cuisines can be. Her work has been featured on Oprah.com, Huffington Post, Glamour, Babble, VegNews.com, Rediff.com (Top 50 Indian Food Blogs), TheKitchn, Cosmopolitan, BuzzFeed, and more. Richa’s first cookbook, Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen, highlights easy and flavorful Indian vegan recipes and is a #1 Amazon bestseller. It was recognized as one of the Top Cookbooks of 2015 by Vegetarian Times and included in PETA’s "Must-Have 7 Cookbooks." Based in Seattle, Richa has continued her culinary journey with two additional cookbooks: Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen and her latest release, Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Cookbook. Her passion for vegan cooking continues to inspire and delight a global audience.
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