Chai Tea Latte

Chai, which is pronounced with a long 'i', is the translation of tea in a number of languages, especially in the Eastern hemisphere. It is more common in the Indian subcontinent, where it is known as 'masala chai'. When made traditionally, it is brewing tea leaves with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs with milk added in the end. It became popular in the west as chai tea latte, when it was served in various coffee shops. Before we see how to make chai tea latte, we will see the calories in this latte.

Chai Tea Latte Calories

Whenever we hear about a new drink, we always want to know the calories in it. Similarly, you may want to know about calories in a latte.

Serving Size	Calories*
8 oz	120 calories
12 oz	180 calories
16 oz	240 calories
20 oz	300 calories

^{* - the milk used to make latte is 2% milk.}

Recipes

There are a number of ways in which you can prepare this latte. Depending on the availability of ingredients at home, you can opt to use any one of the methods.

... Using Tea Leaves
This is actually one of the most authentic way of making chai tea latte. To be more precise, this is the way it is made in the Indian subcontinent.

Ingredients

• Water 1½ cups
• Cinnamon Stick 1 inch
• Cardamom Pods 2 to 3
• Whole Clove 1 to 2
• Fresh Ginger Root (grated) ¼ inch
• Milk 2/3 cup
• Sugar 4 teaspoons
• Tea Leaves 3 teaspoons

Method

• Bring water to a boil and add cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and grated ginger to the water.
• Cover the pot, lower the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
• Now add milk and sugar to water and bring it to a boil.
• At last add tea leaves and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let the tea steep for 3 minutes, strain and enjoy your latte.

... Using Tea Bags
If you do not have tea leaves available, making chai tea latte using tea bags is the second best option.

Ingredients

• Water 2 cups
• Tea Bags 3
• Ginger (grated) ¼ teaspoon
• Cardamom ¼ teaspoon
• Whole Clove 1
• Cinnamon Stick 1
• Sugar 6 to 8 teaspoons
• Milk 2½ cups

Method

• In a pot add water, ginger, cardamom, whole clove, cinnamon stick and tea bags and bring it to a boil.
• Let it boil for 5 to 6 minutes.
• Add sugar and milk to the tea and bring it to a boil.
• Let it simmer for a couple of minutes, remove from heat and strain the tea and your tea is ready.

... Using Liquid Concentrate
Liquid concentrate is a good option, as it also means less work. You will not have to strain the tea or add other spices to it either, as the liquid concentrate comes ready with all that.

Ingredients

• Liquid Chai Concentrate ½ cup
• Milk ½ cup
• Cinnamon Powder a pinch

Method

• Shake the liquid concentrate bottle before use.
• Pour ½ cup of it in a pot and add ½ cup milk to it.
• Heat till boiling point, pour into a mug and sprinkle cinnamon powder on it and serve.
• If you want to make iced chai tea latte, pour the liquid concentrate into a tall glass and add milk and ice cubes to it.
• Stir well, sprinkle cinnamon powder on it and serve.

... Using Powdered Mix
This is another option which will not require too much of preparation, and also the chances of you going wrong are far less.

Ingredients

• Water 1 cup
• Chai Tea Mix 1 tablespoon
• Milk 2 tablespoons

Method

• Bring one cup of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of chai tea mix to the water.
• If you want a stronger tea, you can add more quantity of the mix.
• Add milk and pour the tea into a tea mug.
• Garnish with cinnamon powder.
• If you want iced chai tea latte, then let the tea cool, before you pour it over ice cubes.

Once you make this latte using the recipes mentioned above, you will never want to go back to your coffee shop. Added to this, it is also cheap to make it at home.