A homemade chai spice mix made with toasted whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel, black pepper, star anise, and ground ginger powder. Freshly ground and full of warm, aromatic flavour. Perfect for chai, baking, and more.
Equipment
- Dry frying pan
- Coffee grinder or small blender or mortar and pestle
- Fine mesh sieve
- Airtight glass jar
Ingredients
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp cloves
- 4 tbsp cardamom pods
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
- 1 tbsp black pepper corn
- 1 tbsp ginger powder
- 2 star anise
Instructions
- Toast each spice separately in a dry pan over low to medium heat. Toasting them one at a time is important because each spice has a different size and oil content, meaning they each reach peak fragrance at a slightly different time. Toast until fragrant, you will smell when each spice is ready. Remove from the pan immediately to avoid burning.
- Allow all the toasted spices to cool completely before blending. This prevents steam from building up in your grinder and keeps the spices dry.
- Add all the toasted spices along with the ground ginger powder to a coffee grinder and blend until fine.
- Sift the ground spice mix through a fine mesh sieve if needed to remove any coarse bits. The cardamom pods in particular can leave fibrous husks that are worth sifting out for a smooth blend.
- Transfer to a clean, airtight glass jar and store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
Notes
- Toast each spice separately since each has a different size and oil content, meaning they each reach peak fragrance at a slightly different time.
- Allow spices to cool completely before grinding to keep the blend dry and prevent clumping.
- Sifting is especially important with cardamom pods, which leave fibrous husks after grinding.
- Store in a glass jar away from direct sunlight for the best shelf life.
- Use half to one teaspoon per cup of chai, adjusting to your taste preference.