Somali Chai Tea Recipe with Cardamom, Ginger, and Cloves

Somali chai, often called shaah, is a fragrant Somali milk tea made by simmering black tea with warming spices such as cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. This stovetop version balances strong tea with milk and adjustable sweetness, making a comforting drink to serve hot at breakfast, after a meal, or alongside a snack.

Ingredients

2½ cups water (590 ml): The base for drawing flavor from the spices and tea.
2 cups whole milk (480 ml): Gives the chai a creamy body. Reduced-fat milk works too, though the finished drink will be lighter.
4 teaspoons loose black tea (8 g), or 4 black tea bags: Use a robust, unflavored tea such as English breakfast or another strong breakfast blend.
1½ inches fresh ginger (4 cm; about 25 g): Peel it and slice or lightly crush it. Fresh ginger gives the tea its lively, peppery warmth.
6 green cardamom pods (about 2 g): Gently crack the pods so the seeds can flavor the liquid. If whole pods are unavailable, use ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (about 0.5 g), added with the tea.
1 cinnamon stick, about 3 inches (7.5 cm; about 3 g): A small stick adds a rounded sweetness without making the tea taste like a dessert spice blend. If needed, use ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (about 0.7 g).
4 whole cloves (about 0.5 g): They add a distinct warm, aromatic note. Leave them out if you prefer a gentler spice profile.
2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (25 to 38 g): Start with 2 tablespoons and add more to taste. White sugar dissolves easily, but brown sugar or honey can be used for a slightly different flavor.

Instructions

Prepare the aromatics, about 8 minutes. Peel the ginger and slice it thinly, or give the slices a light press with the side of a knife. Crack the cardamom pods just enough to open them; there is no need to remove the seeds. Measure the cinnamon, cloves, tea, milk, water, and sugar before you start cooking. Keeping the spices whole makes the finished chai easier to strain and helps prevent a gritty texture.
Simmer the water and whole spices, 7 minutes. Pour the water into a medium saucepan. Add the ginger, cracked cardamom, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Bring the water to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat enough to maintain a steady simmer. Simmer uncovered for 7 minutes. The liquid should smell distinctly spiced; if it boils hard, lower the heat so it does not evaporate too quickly.
Add the black tea and steep, 3 minutes. Stir in the loose tea or add the tea bags. Keep the liquid at a gentle simmer for 3 minutes, stirring once. This makes a full-flavored tea without leaving the leaves in long enough to turn sharply bitter. If you like a stronger, more tannic cup, you can steep for 1 additional minute, but taste before extending the time.
Pour in the milk and sugar, then warm, 5 minutes. Add the milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir and heat over medium-low until the chai is steaming and very hot, about 5 minutes. Do not let it boil vigorously: milk can foam up suddenly and spill over, and prolonged hard boiling can leave a cooked-milk taste. Taste carefully and stir in the remaining tablespoon of sugar if you want it sweeter.
Strain and serve, about 2 minutes. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof teapot or serving jug and pour the chai through it. Discard the tea leaves and spices. Serve hot in small cups or mugs. If the chai sits while you set the table, give it a stir before pouring because the richer milk can settle slightly.

Tips

Crack whole cardamom rather than grinding it. Opening the pods releases their aroma into the simmering water, while leaving them mostly intact makes straining simple. Ground cardamom is a useful substitute, but it can leave fine spice sediment in the cup, so start with the small amount listed and avoid adding it by the spoonful.
Keep an eye on the pan once the milk goes in. Milk can rise from a quiet simmer to an overflowing boil in moments. Use a saucepan with room above the liquid, lower the heat after adding the milk, and stay nearby. The goal is steaming-hot chai, not a rolling boil.
Adjust strength in small steps. Tea brands and leaf sizes vary, so a four-minute steep may taste stronger with one tea than another. Start with the listed three minutes, taste after the milk is warm, and extend the steep briefly next time if you want more tea flavor. Adding extra sugar will not correct oversteeped bitterness.
Sweeten after tasting. The spices and tea can seem more intense before the milk is added, and different households prefer different levels of sweetness. Begin with 2 tablespoons of sugar; you can always dissolve in more while the chai is hot. Honey can be stirred in off the heat, though its floral flavor will be noticeable.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Somali chai hot as a breakfast drink, an afternoon cup, or a welcoming drink after a meal. It pairs naturally with simple baked goods, toast, savory pastries, or a small plate of dates. Because the tea is already rich and spiced, a plain or lightly sweet snack works especially well; strongly flavored sweets can compete with the cardamom and ginger.

For a shared pot, strain the chai into a prewarmed teapot and pour it into small cups. If you are serving it with food, keep the sugar moderate in the pan and set sugar on the table so each person can sweeten their cup. A light dusting of ground cardamom is optional, but it is not necessary: the steeped spices already provide plenty of aroma.

Variations

Make it more ginger-forward. Increase the fresh ginger to 2 inches (5 cm; about 35 g), or lightly crush the slices before simmering. The tea will taste sharper and warmer. Avoid adding a large amount of ground ginger as a direct substitute; it can make the drink cloudy and dusty rather than giving it the clean fragrance of fresh ginger.

Use a different milk. Evaporated milk can make a particularly rich cup; replace ½ cup (120 ml) of the whole milk with the same amount of evaporated milk and keep the total milk quantity unchanged. For a dairy-free version, use unsweetened oat or soy milk. Their flavors and thickness differ from cow’s milk, so choose an unflavored variety and warm it gently to reduce the chance of separation. Coconut milk gives a more pronounced coconut taste and is less neutral.

Make the spice blend your own. Some versions of Somali shaah are more strongly spiced than others, and family preferences vary. Add one extra cardamom pod for a brighter aroma, or omit the cloves for a softer cup. A small pinch of ground black pepper can add a faintly warming edge, but it is optional and should not overwhelm the tea.

Choose loose tea or bags. Loose black tea is easy to measure and strains cleanly through a fine-mesh sieve. Tea bags are convenient and work well here; remove them after the same steeping time rather than squeezing them, which can push bitter flavors into the drink. Avoid flavored black teas unless you specifically want their added aroma to shape the chai.

Storage and Reheating

For the best flavor, serve the chai soon after straining. If you have extra, transfer it to a covered container and refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The spices may become more pronounced as it sits, and the milk may separate slightly; stir the chai before reheating. Do not leave milk-based chai at room temperature for an extended period.

Reheat only the amount you plan to drink in a small saucepan over low to medium-low heat, stirring often until hot. For food safety, USDA FSIS guidance is to reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C); check the temperature with a food thermometer. Avoid repeatedly heating and cooling the full batch, which can affect both its quality and safe storage. Freezing is possible, but milk can separate after thawing, so refrigeration and reheating are usually preferable for a small batch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Somali chai the same as Indian chai?
They share the basic idea of tea simmered with milk and spices, but recipes and spice proportions vary by region and household. This Somali-style version emphasizes black tea, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon, with cloves as a supporting spice. There is no single fixed formula, so the balance can be adjusted to taste.

Can I make Somali chai without milk?
Yes. Replace the milk with an equal amount of water for a lighter, clear spiced tea, or use unsweetened oat or soy milk for a dairy-free version with a creamy texture. The taste will change with the substitute, so add it gently and adjust the sugar after tasting.

Can I prepare it with ground spices?
Yes, though whole spices are easier to strain and usually give a cleaner cup. Use the listed small amounts of ground cardamom and cinnamon, add them with the tea, and expect a little sediment. Ground cloves are potent, so if substituting, use only a small pinch rather than the same volume as whole cloves.

Why does my chai taste bitter?
The tea may have steeped too long, the pan may have boiled vigorously, or the tea itself may be especially strong. Keep the tea steep to about 3 minutes, maintain a gentle simmer, and strain promptly. If bitterness is a recurring issue, use slightly less tea rather than masking it with extra sugar.

Can I make the chai ahead for guests?
You can prepare it earlier in the day, strain it, and refrigerate it promptly in a covered container. Reheat the amount needed just before serving, stirring as it warms and checking that leftovers reach 165°F (74°C). For the freshest spice aroma, another option is to simmer the water and whole spices ahead, then add the tea and milk shortly before serving.

How can I make the drink less sweet?
Use 1 tablespoon (13 g) of sugar to start, then serve the chai and let people sweeten their own cups. You can also omit the sugar from the pot entirely. Unsweetened chai will taste more tea-forward, so taste it after adding the milk before deciding whether it needs a little sugar.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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