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September 16, 2025
Railroad-Style Chai Recipe
Indian railroad-style chai represents the real authentic preparation served from trays and passed through train windows at railroad stops throughout India for genuine travel tradition. This authentic approach showcases how chai culture developed around transportation hubs where quick, satisfying beverages became essential for travelers. The real stuff designation ensures genuine preparation methods that reflect actual railroad chai rather than restaurant adaptations or modern interpretations. This train stop tradition demonstrates how certain food preparations become integral parts of cultural travel experiences and local customs. The railroad-style preparation honors working-class chai culture while delivering robust flavors that sustained travelers throughout their journeys across India.
Indian Railroad-style Chai: this is the real stuff served out of trays and passed through the windows at railroad stops all over India. If you can find mamri tea pearls from India, use 1/4 cup of that in place of the tea bags.
Prep Time:
5 mins
Cook Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
10 mins
Servings:
4
Yield:
1 quart
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Ingredients
2 cups water
1 tablespoon fennel seed
4 whole cloves, or more to taste
1 ½ teaspoons cardamom seeds
2 cups whole milk
4 black tea bags, or more to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste
Directions
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan; add fennel, cloves, and cardamom. Continue boiling water for 3 minutes.
Stir milk into the water and return mixture to a low boil; add tea bags, reduce heat to low, and boil until the tea has a strong, but not bitter flavor, 2 to 3 minutes.
Strain tea into 4 tea mugs; sweeten with sugar to individual tastes.
Cook’s Notes:
It’s important to use a cheap granulated tea. For years I tried to make this using the best Darjeeling and Asaam teas that I could find and it never came out right. The cheap granulated tea (basically what we put in tea bags) is the key. It takes a strong-flavored tea to stand up to the flavor imparted by the spices.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 96 | Calories |
| 4g | Fat |
| 11g | Carbs |
| 4g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 4 | |
| Calories 96 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 12% |
| Cholesterol 12mg | 4% |
| Sodium 56mg | 2% |
| Total Carbohydrate 11g | 4% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
| Total Sugars 9g | |
| Protein 4g | 9% |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 166mg | 13% |
| Iron 1mg | 3% |
| Potassium 234mg | 5% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
