Masala Chai

Method

1. mash2 min
   mortar or flat blade
   cardamom pods + cinnamon + cloves + peppercorns, crushed only until the pods split and the bark cracks — whole pods are sealed and give almost nothing to water, powdered spice gives everything at once and then goes muddy and gritty in the cup
2. simmer6 min
   medium, uncovered, gentle bubble
   water + crushed spices + grated ginger, until the water is straw-coloured and smells of cardamom from arm's length = decoction. Ginger's zingerone and the cardamom oils are water-soluble and volatile; extract them now, in a fat-free liquid, or the milk will coat them and hold them back
3. infuse3 min
   off heat or barest simmer
   + black tea leaf, steeped no longer than three minutes. Assam gives its colour and malt early and its tannin late — hold it past the mark and the astringency will not be sugared out afterwards
4. simmer3 min
   medium-high, watched
   + milk + sugar, brought up until the foam climbs the sides, then pulled off the heat to let it fall — do this twice. Casein and fat form a skin that traps steam under it, which is why chai boils over without warning; each rise-and-fall breaks that skin and concentrates the milk slightly, thickening the body
5. season1 min
   off heat
   taste and correct sugar before straining — sweetness reads lower in a hot spiced liquid than it will at drinking temperature, so stop a touch short of what tastes right in the pot
6. prep1 min
   fine strainer, poured from height
   strain into cups, pouring from a foot up so the stream aerates and the surface foams — that foam is the visual signature and it also cools the top layer to drinkable