Ginger Milk Tea (Adrak Chai)

Ginger Milk Tea aka Adrak Chai is a staple drink during the monsoon & winters in India. It is made with water, milk, a sweetener, fresh ginger (adrak) &/or dried ginger (sonth) and a few other warming spices. Slightly hot, spicy, sweet and creamy, this ginger milk tea is said to relieve symptoms of general cold, cough and flu.

About Ginger Milk Tea

Adrak Chai is as popular as the Masala Chai and is a common drink in the households, canteens, road-side eateries and restaurants. Like many other dishes, this one too is made in numerous ways and every house or a tea-shop has a different recipe.

In this post, I share my Mom’s recipe and it is best to consume this Ginger Milk Tea during the monsoons or harsh winters or during the times someone is trying to keep cold and cough at bay.

This recipe uses ginger in fresh and dried forms because both work differently and add different flavor profile to the chai. It is a real strong Adrak Chai that works like a charm to open up the blocked sinuses and provide warmth to the body.

When I say strong chai, it is not the strength of the chai (kadak) but the flavor & taste of adrak/ginger is strong. It is a healing drink so that’s how it is made in our home. If you do not prefer a strong ginger flavor you can reduce or even omit one form of ginger in this recipe.

Though this ginger milk tea looks similar to the Masala Chai, it varies a lot in flavor and taste. You can also make this recipe using Chai Spice plus a little more dried ginger.

More Indian beverages
Irani Chai
Chai Latte
Turmeric Tea
Turmeric Latte
Turmeric Milk

Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients used in this recipe:

Milk & Water form the base of this drink. I use 1¼ cups water to ¾ cup whole milk to make a 2 serving drink. You may alter this to your taste or use only low fat milk for the entire recipe. For the milk, you can also use powdered milk/ dry milk/ milk powder if you do not have fresh milk.

Tea: I prefer to use loose leaf tea (CTC). You may use tea dust or even tea bags for easier clean-up. But also note that tea bags usually consist of tea dust which don’t impart the same flavors as leaf tea.

Sweetener: You can use organic sugar, jaggery, palm jaggery or even leave out the sweetener completely.

Fresh Ginger: I use peeled and grated ginger to infuse the flavors. You may use it in chopped form but requires longer simmer to extract the same flavors. You can use up to 5 grams per serving. Using a lot of ginger regularly in this chai form can dehydrate you. So keep yourself hydrated with plenty of liquids.

Dried Ginger: Traditionally in Ayurveda, dried ginger has been used as an expectorant. Also several research works have indicated that dried ginger has higher antioxidants / anti-inflammatory properties than fresh ginger. So it is ideal to include dried ginger in a healing drink like this adrak chai.

Other Spices: You can use any other spices of choice to flavor your tea. I prefer to use ground cardamom and black pepper. Ground cardamom (Elaichi) adds sweeter/floral tones while black pepper adds heat. Ground cinnamon can also be used if you like the flavor.

How to Make Ginger Milk Tea (Stepwise Photos)

1. Pour 1¼ cup water to a pot and begin to heat it. Add ¾ to 1 tablespoon grated ginger and 1 tablespoon tea.

2. Bring it to a rolling boil and then simmer on a medium heat for 3 mins.

3. Pour milk.

4. Let it come to a boil on a medium high heat. Reduce the heat immediately and bring back to a boil on a medium heat again.

5. Reduce the heat completely and add 1 tablespoon sugar. For less sweeter adrak chai, reduce the sugar or omit it completely to use another sweetener later.

6. Add the other spices –

• ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon dried ground ginger (sonth/sonti, omit for less spicy tea, I use ½ tsp)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (I use home ground powder that includes shells, so I use half tsp, use less if using stronger store bought powder)

7. Give a quick stir with a soup ladle and begin to aerate the adrak chai 5 to 6 times. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Do not simmer the tea any longer. Let it rest for 3 to 4 mins.

8. Strain the ginger milk tea and serve it hot. Limit adrak chai to 1 to 2 cups a day. Too much of this can easily make you dehydrated and cause acidity.

Store the leftover strained tea in the refrigerator for a max of 2 to 3 days. Reheat gently on a low heat and serve. Reheating on a high heat can leave a more bitter flavor.

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