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Karak Chai

Karak Chai Recipe

Strong black tea simmered with caramelized sugar, cardamom, saffron, and evaporated milk until thick, fragrant, and deeply comforting.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast
Cuisine: lebanese
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tablespoons white sugar
  • 4 cups hot water
  • 2 tablespoons loose black tea or 3 tea bags (Lipton Red Label or English Breakfast)
  • 6 whole cardamom pods
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 5 –6 saffron threads
  • 3 slices fresh ginger root or a pinch of ginger powder (optional)
  • ⅔ cup 170g evaporated milk

Method
 

  1. Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Leave it undisturbed until it melts and turns a deep amber caramel color. Slowly stream in the hot water, stirring to combine. Any hardened pieces of caramel will dissolve as the liquid heats.
  2. Add the tea, cardamom pods, cloves, saffron, and ginger. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the spices are deeply fragrant and the tea is very dark and strong.
  3. Pour in the evaporated milk. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tea has thickened slightly and turned a rich caramel color.
  4. Pour through a fine strainer into a teapot or directly into cups. Serve immediately.

Notes

Skipping the caramelizing step is fine - simply add the sugar and hot water together and stir until dissolved before proceeding.
Taste before straining and adjust sweetness or spice. Karak is very forgiving and easy to tweak to your preference.
If using cardamom-flavored evaporated milk, reduce the cardamom pods to three.
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to two days and reheat beautifully.