Karak Tea at Home: A Strong, Spiced Chai Recipe

In short: Karak tea (chai karak) is the strong, sweet, milky cardamom tea of the Arabian Gulf, brewed on the stovetop rather than steeped in a cup. To make it at home, simmer 2 heaped teaspoons of a bold Assam black tea with 4-5 crushed cardamom pods in 250 ml of water for 5 minutes, add 250 ml of milk and 2-3 teaspoons of sugar, simmer for another 5 minutes until it turns a deep caramel colour, then strain into small glasses. It is as much a part of a Doha or Dubai morning as a flat white is in Melbourne.

"Karak" simply means "strong" in Hindi and Urdu, which tells you where the drink comes from: South Asian workers brought their masala chai habits to the Gulf states in the mid-20th century, and the local version settled on fewer spices, more cardamom, a lot of milk and plenty of sugar. Today it is sold from roadside cafeterias across the Gulf, and it is easy to recreate in an Australian kitchen with a saucepan and the right tea.

What you need

Karak is a small recipe with big flavour, so each ingredient does a lot of work.

• Black tea, 2 heaped teaspoons (about 5 g) per 2 glasses. You want a strong, malty Assam that stands up to boiling and milk. CTC-style or broken leaf is traditional; a whole-leaf Assam works if it is bold enough.
• Green cardamom, 4-5 pods, lightly crushed so the seeds show. This is the signature flavour and the one spice you cannot skip.
• Water, 250 ml and milk, 250 ml. Full-cream milk gives the classic richness. Evaporated milk is the authentic Gulf shortcut; see the variations below.
• Sugar, 2-3 teaspoons. Karak is sweet by definition, but you decide how sweet.
• Optional: a thin slice of fresh ginger, a pinch of saffron threads, or a small piece of cinnamon stick.

That is all. No tea bags, no syrup, no blender.

Which tea to use

The tea makes or breaks karak. Delicate Darjeeling or Ceylon disappears under the milk, while a strong Assam gives the deep amber colour and the malty backbone that defines the drink. Three good options from our black tea range:

If you already keep a spiced blend from our chai tea collection, use it instead of plain Assam and simply push the cardamom harder.

Step-by-step stovetop method

1. Crush the cardamom. Press 4-5 green pods with the flat of a knife until they split. Drop them, husks and all, into a small saucepan.
2. Boil the tea and spices. Add 250 ml of water and 2 heaped teaspoons of Assam. Bring to the boil, then lower to a steady simmer for 4-5 minutes. The liquid should turn very dark, almost black. This is where karak gets its strength.
3. Add milk and sugar. Pour in 250 ml of milk and stir in 2-3 teaspoons of sugar. Bring back to a gentle boil, watching closely so it does not foam over.
4. Simmer and pull. Simmer for another 4-5 minutes, stirring now and then. Cafeteria tea-makers lift ladlefuls high and pour them back into the pot, which aerates the tea and thickens its texture slightly. A few high pours with a ladle or mug do the same at home.
5. Strain and serve. Pour through a fine strainer into small heatproof glasses or cups. Karak should be a warm caramel-tan colour, fully opaque, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly.

Total time is about 12 minutes. For four glasses, double everything and use a larger pan; the simmer times stay the same.

Ratios at a glance

Variations

• Evaporated milk karak (the Gulf classic). Replace the fresh milk with 150 ml of evaporated milk plus 100 ml of extra water. It gives the slightly cooked, caramel-like richness of a real Doha cafeteria cup.
• Saffron karak. Add a small pinch of saffron threads with the milk. The colour turns golden and the aroma becomes gently floral. Serve this one to guests.
• Ginger karak. Two thin slices of fresh ginger in the first boil give a warm, peppery edge. Good for a cool Melbourne or Hobart morning.
• Iced karak. Make the recipe with half the water, cool it, then pour over a tall glass of ice with a splash of cold milk. On a 35°C afternoon it beats most iced lattes.
• Less sweet. Drop to 1 teaspoon of sugar per glass, but do not skip it entirely; a little sugar rounds off the tannin from the long boil.

Karak, masala chai and chai latte: what's the difference?

All three are spiced, milky black teas, but they are not the same drink. Masala chai, from India, uses a wider spice mix (cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper) and is often a touch lighter. Karak narrows the spices down to cardamom, sometimes with saffron, and is brewed stronger, sweeter and milkier. A café chai latte is usually a spiced concentrate or powder topped with steamed milk, so it is creamier and softer, with the tea itself playing a smaller role. If you love a chai latte but wish it tasted more of tea, karak is the answer.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make karak with tea bags?

You can, with 2-3 strong breakfast-blend bags per 250 ml of water, but loose Assam gives a deeper colour and a rounder, maltier taste because there is more leaf and more surface for the long simmer.

Why is my karak pale and thin?

Either the tea was too light or the first boil was too short. Use a bold Assam, let the water-and-tea stage simmer for a full 5 minutes until it is nearly black, and keep the milk simmering for another 5 minutes.

Can I use plant milk?

Yes. Oat milk is the closest in body and does not split. Add it off the heat and warm gently rather than boiling hard, and expect a slightly lighter colour.

How much caffeine is in a glass of karak?

Roughly 40-60 mg per 250 ml glass, similar to a cup of ordinary black tea, because the long simmer extracts more from the leaf than a quick steep.

Can karak be made ahead?

It is best fresh, but you can brew a batch, keep it in the fridge for up to two days and reheat gently on the stove without boiling. Stir well before pouring, as the milk settles.