elaichi co.’s Karak Chai Blend is crafted for authentic flavor and easy home brewing. Meaning “strong tea,” it’s the same blend served at their cafés, made with high-quality ingredients from family farms they trust—organic loose-leaf CTC Assam black tea from Chota Tingrai Farm in India and fresh-crushed cardamom from Chemparathy Estate.

Stovetop Karak Chai

Here’s how elaichi co. makes hundreds of cups of chai every day at its cafés in the Bay Area. For a video walkthrough, recipe calculator, and more substitutions, check out their  ultimate chai guide!

Equipment

• A pot with room for the milk to rise

• Measuring cup

• Tablespoon

• Ladle

• Fine-mesh strainer

Use the same steps for either serving size.

For one cup

• 1 cup whole milk

• ½ cup water

• 1 tablespoon karak chai blend

• 1½ teaspoons white sugar, or to taste

For two cups

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1 cup water

• 2 tablespoons karak chai blend

• 3 teaspoons white sugar, or to taste

These quantities are for one or two servings. The finished amount will vary a little depending on how much liquid cooks off.

Steps

1. Add the milk and water to your pot. Bring them to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Stay close, because milk likes to climb.

2. Stir in the karak chai blend and sugar once boiling.

3. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on the pot and lower the heat further if the milk starts rising.

4. Ladle it. Scoop up some chai and gently pour it back into the pot a few times to make it frothy. Keep the ladle close enough to avoid splashing.

5. Turn off the heat and strain into your cup (or cups).

6. Taste, adjust the sweetness if you like, and enjoy!

A few ways to make it yours

Making more than two cups

Use ½ cup of water for one serving, and 1 cup of water total for two or more. The water does not keep increasing with the batch size. For each serving, use 1 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of blend, and 1½ teaspoons of sugar, or to taste. Start the 5-minute simmer after adding the blend, even when a bigger batch takes longer to come to a boil.

Choosing your milk

For a rich, creamy cup, elaichi co. recommends high-fat whole milk. Full-fat oat milk is the team’s dairy-free choice. With oat milk, start with about ⅔ tablespoon of blend per serving instead of 1 tablespoon, then adjust to taste.

Finding your sweetness

The sugar amounts above are a starting point, not a rule. Sweetness options are totally personal, so use white or brown sugar, stevia, monkfruit, honey, or jaggery for some great-tasting options with chai. Use less if that’s how you like your chai, and taste before adding more. If you’re making a pot for people with different preferences, you can sweeten each cup separately.

Brewing with Stagg & Series 1

For a quick cup, steep the blend with hot water and steamed milk and strain to enjoy!

1. Heat water to 200-210 deg F in your Fellow Stagg kettle

2. Pour 4oz. of milk into your steaming pitcher and steam on Series 1 to 140-150 deg F

3. Combine 2oz. of the hot water and the steamed milk into a mug.

4. Add 1.5 tablespoon of the karak chai blend to a strainer basket. Place it in the mug, making sure the tea is submerged, and let it steep for 3–5 minutes. Look for a nice tan shade, and taste to find the strength you like.

5. Lift the basket carefully and let it drain over the mug. Use the back of a spoon to gently press out the remaining liquid. Keep your fingers clear of the hot tea and basket.

6. Remove the basket, stir in your sweetener of choice, and enjoy.