Introduction
Every morning in the cafés of Bangalore's Indiranagar, Pune's Koregaon Park, and Mumbai's Bandra, a particular ritual plays out: a barista steams milk to silky perfection, blends it with a rich spice concentrate, and hands you something that tastes unmistakably of India — but in a format your latte cup is happy about. The Spiced Chai Latte is where the chai traditions of your grandmother's kitchen meet the craft coffee bar. At home, with a simple concentrate and a bit of technique, you can recreate it with total precision.
The secret is the concentrate. Making a bold, intensely spiced tea syrup in advance means your latte comes together in minutes and tastes deeply consistent every time — the same approach used in every good café in the country.
The Story
The chai latte as a distinct category emerged in India's café boom of the 2000s, as Cafe Coffee Day and Barista introduced a generation of urban Indians to espresso bars and milk-based drinks. Soon, the obvious question arose: what would chai look like in a latte glass? The answer was surprisingly natural. Indian masala chai already had everything a latte needs — a strong, flavoured base and a milk element. Pulling them apart and reassembling them with barista technique simply elevated what was already there.
Today the spiced chai latte is both a global phenomenon (with chains like Starbucks selling a version in every country) and a deeply personal creation that every Indian café puts its own stamp on. The homemade version beats them all, because your spice blend is yours — tuned to exactly how much cardamom you love, how punchy you like your ginger, how sweet you want your morning to begin.
How to Make
Step 1 — Make the chai concentrate. In a small saucepan, combine the water, crushed cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, star anise, and grated ginger. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer hard for 4 minutes — you want an intensely spiced base.
Add the tea leaves and continue simmering for 2 more minutes. The concentrate will be very dark and strong — stronger than you would normally drink chai. That is exactly correct. Add the brown sugar or jaggery and stir until dissolved. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. You should have approximately 3/4 cup of rich, syrupy concentrate. It keeps refrigerated for up to a week.
Step 2 — Froth the milk. This is where the latte character lives. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it reaches approximately 65–70°C (just below boiling — when you see gentle steam and tiny bubbles at the edges). Remove from heat.
To froth: the simplest method is a handheld milk frother (also called a milk wand), which whips the milk into a creamy, micro-bubbled foam in about 30 seconds. Alternatively, pour the hot milk into a lidded jar and shake vigorously for 30–45 seconds. A French press works beautifully — pour in hot milk and pump the plunger 20–30 times.
Step 3 — Assemble the latte. Pour 3–4 tablespoons of concentrate into each latte glass or large cup (about 1/3 of the cup volume). This 1:3 concentrate-to-milk ratio is a good starting point — adjust based on how strong you like it.
Gently pour the frothed milk over the concentrate, using a spoon to hold back the foam as you pour the liquid first, then spooning the foam on top.
Step 4 — Finish and garnish. Dust the foam generously with ground cinnamon through a small sieve for an even coat. Slide a cinnamon stick into the cup along the edge. If you want to be truly café-perfect, drag a toothpick through the cinnamon dust in a swirl pattern across the foam.
Tips & Variations
Barista oat milk: If you prefer non-dairy, use "barista edition" oat milk — it is formulated to froth and steam properly without separating or going watery. Oat milk's natural sweetness complements masala spices beautifully.
Iced chai latte: Pour the concentrate over a glass full of ice, top with cold milk, and stir. The concentrate is designed to cut through dilution. For maximum drama, pour the cold milk slowly over the back of a spoon to create a two-tone layered effect.
Dirty chai latte: Pull a double shot of espresso and add it to the concentrate before frothing milk over the top. The espresso adds depth and bitterness that takes the spices into another dimension entirely. This is wildly popular in Bangalore's specialty coffee scene.
Sweetener variations: Try maple syrup for a more complex sweetness, or a teaspoon of raw honey stirred into the concentrate before assembling. Jaggery in the concentrate gives it an authentic desi chai depth that white sugar cannot match.
Spice adjustments: Increase star anise by half for a more prominent anise note. Double the ginger for heat. A tiny pinch of ground mace added to the concentrate adds a mysterious warmth that most people cannot identify but everyone responds to.