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
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Chai Latte
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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 1tablespoon 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 ⅓teaspoon dried ground ginger (sonth/sonti, omit for less spicy tea, I use ½ tsp)
- ¼teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ to ½teaspoon 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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Recipe Card
Ginger Milk Tea (Adrak Chai)
Indian Ginger Milk Tea more commonly known as Adrak wali chai is a winter drink made with black tea, milk, fresh & dried ginger and various other spices. This spicy adrak chai is served during the monsoon and winters to keep manage cold and flu-like symptoms.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Prep Time2 minutes minutes
Cook Time8 minutes minutes
Total Time10 minutes minutes
Servings2 people
AuthorSwasthi
Diet : Vegetarian
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1¼ cup water
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon loose leaf tea (adjust to taste, depending on the brand)
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon (7 to 10 grams) fresh ginger root peeled & grated or minced
- 1 tablespoon organic sugar
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (adjust to taste, read notes)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (pepper powder)
Optional but recommended
- ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon dried ground ginger (ginger powder, saunth, use less for a less spicy chai)
Instructions
How to Make Ginger Milk Tea
Pour water to a pot and begin to heat it. Add fresh ginger and tea. Bring it to a rolling boil and let simmer on a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chai turns dark.
Pour milk and bring it to a boil on a medium high heat. Reduce the heat and bring it to a boil again.
Reduce the heat completely and add sugar, ground dried ginger, cardamom and black pepper.
Using a soup/batter ladle mix well and aerate the ginger milk tea 4 to 5 times. Turn off and cover the adrak chai.
Let rest for 3 to 4 minutes and the strain ginger milk tea to serving cups. Store the leftover strained tea for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator and serve. Reheat gently on a low heat.
Notes
- You can use up to 5 grams fresh ginger per serving, using a lot can easily dehydrate you or make your tea bitter.
- If you don’t prefer dried ginger (sonth) you may leave out. But if you are trying to beat cold or keep yourself warm, use both fresh and dried ginger. Both have different healing properties.
- I use half teaspoon home ground cardamom which is ground along with the shells. If yours is stronger, ground without shells you may use lesser.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
Watch Adrak Chai Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
Nutrition Facts
Ginger Milk Tea (Adrak Chai)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 104Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 11mg4%
Sodium 47mg2%
Potassium 265mg8%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 152IU3%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 126mg13%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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