As the water boils, crush the spices into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle. Set it aside.
Once the water comes to boil, add tea leaves and sugar. Let the tea leaves steep in the water for about 1-2 minutes.
Add milk to the tea mixture and let it come to a boil.
Add the powdered spices and mix well. Turn off the heat in about 30 seconds.
Strain and serve immediately with a pinch of saffron (if using).
Notes
Use your serving cup to measure the water and milk to have the exact amount of tea to serve.
Tips
Use full-fat milk or whole milk for the best results.
The tea may differ in taste and strength depending on the brand used. Increase or decrease the quantity of tea leaves as needed.
Chai ratio - I prefer a 1:1 milk-to-water ratio, but you could use 1:2 as well, where you use two times more water than milk.
You can lightly toast the spices on low heat for 15-20 seconds to draw out the moisture making it easy to crush.
To avoid the bitter aftertaste, always add the ground chai masala after the milk has been added and has come to a boil.
Also, you must be mindful of how long you boil the tea leaves. If it is overboiled, the tea will be bitter, and if not boiled enough, it will not be strong enough or have a dark color.
Variations to try
Sweetener options: You can use jaggery, brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey will also work. Make sure to add jaggery just before serving, or else the milk will curdle.
For a vegan version, use oat milk.
Herbs: You can add fresh mint leaves and holy basil (tulsi) while making tea or add the crushed dried-up version to the masala powder. Some even add lemongrass to their tea - though I haven't tried it.
Love spices? You can experiment by adding nutmeg (just a pinch), mace, or star anise. Remember, when it comes to spices, less is more.
Amp up the fragrance - Make your masala tea even more fragrant by adding a few strands of saffron or rose petals.