Karak chai

Name: Karak chai
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 400 ml water; 8 g black tea leaves; 5 cardamom, crushed; 3 tbsp sugar; 200 ml evaporated milk; 1 pinch saffron (optional)

Vegetarian

شاي كرك · shāy karak

Strong black tea boiled with cardamom, sugar and evaporated milk until rich, caramel-coloured and fragrant — the Gulf's favourite roadside drink.

Karak chai is a Gulf Arab hot drink, ready in about 12 minutes and made with black tea leaves, cardamom and evaporated milk. It serves 3 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

A serving of Masala chai — Representative photo. Dadhichbittu007 / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0

Prep: 2 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 12 min
Serves: 3
Level: Beginner
Calories: 145

Ingredients

3 cups

400 ml Water (opens in a new tab)
8 g Black tea leaves (opens in a new tab)About 3 heaped tsp loose black tea.
5 (1 g) Cardamom (opens in a new tab), crushed
3 tbsp (38 g) Sugar (opens in a new tab)Karak is usually very sweet; adjust to taste.
200 ml Evaporated milk (opens in a new tab)Swap: Milk (Lighter; simmer a little longer.)Contains milk
1 pinch (0 g) Saffron (opens in a new tab) (optional)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Bring the water to the boil with the crushed cardamom (opens in a new tab) (and saffron (opens in a new tab), if using). Add the loose tea and boil for 3–4 minutes until very dark.
- 5 min
- high heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Add the sugar (opens in a new tab) and evaporated milk (opens in a new tab) and bring back to the boil, letting it rise and fall two or three times to deepen in colour.
- 5 min
- medium-high heat
Watch closely — it boils over quickly.
3
Step 3
Strain into small cups and serve hot.
- 1 min
- Sieve / strainer (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Not attributed to one place · Commonly attributedBrought to the Gulf by South Asian communities; now a fixture of cafés across the UAE, Qatar and the wider Gulf.Also popular in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia
Dish: Breakfast · Snack · Hot drinks
Cooking method: Boiled, Simmered
Taste: sweet, creamy, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday
Cook more with: Black tea leaves · Cardamom · Evaporated milk · Sugar
Techniques: Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

Contains: Milkfrom evaporated milk

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

145 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 218 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

Protein 13%
Carbohydrate 54%
Fat 33%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	145 kcal	67 kcal
Protein	4.9 g	2.2 g
Carbohydrate	20 g	9.2 g
Net carbohydrate	19.9 g	9.1 g
Sugars	19.7 g	9.1 g
Added sugars	12.6 g	5.8 g
Fibre	0.1 g	0 g
Fat	5.4 g	2.5 g
Saturated fat	3.3 g	1.5 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	21 mg	10 mg
Sodium	78 mg	36 mg
Salt equivalent	0.2 g	0.1 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 220 mg
Calcium: 201 mg
Iron: 0.2 mg
Magnesium: 21 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 46 µg
Vitamin C: 1 mg
Vitamin D: 1.4 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.1 µg
Folate (DFE): 6 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: saffron.
Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): black tea leaves.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.