Irani Chai Recipe (Hyderabadi Dum Chai)
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Irani Chai (Irani Tea, Hyderabadi Dum Chai) is a Persian-influenced tea extremely popular in Hyderabad and Mumbai. Use my simple recipe to make this creamy tea at home.
If you enjoy traditional Indian teas, you may also like Mint Chai, Masala Chai, Lemongrass Chai, Kashmiri Tea (Kahwa), and Adrak Wali Chai.
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We visited Hyderabad a few years back, and apart from trying out the irresistible mutton biryani, we also indulged in many other local specialities. This Irani chai was one of them. If you love creamy chai, then this tea is definitely for you.
Irani Chai (Irani Tea, Hyderabadi Tea) is a sweet, milky, and creamy Indian tea also known as Hyderabadi Dum Chai. Persian immigrants introduced it to the Indian subcontinent in the 19th century, and over the years, it evolved to suit Indian taste.
If you walk down the bustling streets of Hyderabad or Mumbai, you’ll find many old-school Irani cafés serving steaming cups of Irani chai all day long. Inside these charming cafés, you’ll often see groups of friends, college students, and office-goers gathered around marble-top tables, slowly sipping their tea while chatting, debating, or simply watching the world go by.
The chai arrives in small glasses or cups, thick, creamy, and perfectly sweet, meant to be enjoyed leisurely, often alongside a bun maska or a plate of biscuits. In these cafés, Irani chai is more than just a drink; it’s a daily ritual and a slice of the city’s timeless café culture.
This tea is slowly brewed (dum) with warm spices such as green cardamom pods and cinnamon and then mixed with a creamy reduced-milk mixture. The creamy milk is traditionally made with milk and khoya (reduced milk solids), but some people use heavy cream, fresh cream (malai), or condensed milk in their recipes.
You will find Hyderabadi chai on the menu of most Iranian cafes. The roadside tea stalls in old Hyderabad also sell this refreshing beverage. If you are a chai lover, then this milk tea must definitely be on your chai recipes-to-try list.
Hyderabadi Irani tea has a unique, distinct flavor that sets it apart from regular tea. Make it at home using my traditional recipe, and enjoy!
Ingredients
For The Tea Decoction
- Assam tea (black tea leaves, chai patti) – Use loose black tea powder or tea bags; that’s up to you. You can add more tea leaves than the recipe calls for if you like a stronger tea.
- Spices – Just 2 spices are traditionally used to make this tea: green cardamom (hari elaichi) and a cinnamon stick (dalchini). To make Irani chai spicier and stronger, you can add more spices, such as star anise (chakri phool), black cardamom (badi elaichi), cloves (laung), and black peppercorns (kali mirch).
- Others – You will also need water and granulated white sugar. Adjust the sugar as per your taste.
For The Milk Mixture
- Milk – Use whole milk (full-fat) for the best results.
- Khoya (Mawa or Khava) is added to this mixture to make it creamy and rich. If khoya is unavailable, mix 2 tablespoon milk powder with 1 tablespoon milk and whisk until smooth. Use it in place of khoya. Some people replace khoya with heavy cream, malai (fresh cream), or condensed milk in their Hyderabadi Irani chai recipe. It is not traditional, and the taste will also be slightly different, but you can try it. Skip adding extra sugar if using condensed milk, as it is already very sweet.
How To Make Irani Chai
Make The Tea Decoction
Step 1: Add the following ingredients to a saucepan.
- 2 cups of water
- 2 teaspoon black tea leaves (or 2 tea bags)
- 2 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 2 green cardamoms (lightly crushed)
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick (lightly crushed)
Step 2: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low.
Note: If the lid does not fit tightly over the saucepan, you can seal it with a bit of whole-wheat flour dough to prevent steam from escaping. You can also cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Step 3: Cook the tea on low heat for 30 minutes.
Make The Creamy Milk
Step 4: While the tea is cooking on the stove, make the milk mixture. Add 2 cups of whole milk (full-fat) to a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Step 5: Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the milk is reduced to half its volume. Stir frequently to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan. Add 2 tablespoon crumbled khoya and mix well.
Step 6: Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring until well combined with the milk.
Assemble The Irani Chai
Step 7: Strain the brewed tea through a tea strainer, then pour ¼ cup of the decoction into a serving cup.
Step 8: Top with ¾ cup of the milk mixture and serve immediately.
Irani Chai FAQs
I get my khoya from my local Indian grocery store. After making this tea, I divide the khoya into approximately 50 g pieces and store the pieces in ziplock bags in the freezer. This way, I can pull out one or more bags as needed in the future.
Irani chai uses a separate tea decoction and slow-reduced milk, giving it a richer texture. Masala chai is brewed together with spices.
Serving Suggestions
This classic Iranian-style tea is traditionally served with Osmania biscuits, a Hyderabadi specialty.
This hot beverage can also be served with Bun Maska, Nankhatai, Namak Para, or any other snack for your evening tea.
Other Tea Recipes We Recommend
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Irani Chai Recipe (Hyderabadi Dum Tea)
Ingredients
For The Tea Decoction
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons Assam black tea leaves (chai patti) (or 2 tea bags)
- 2 teaspoons granulated white sugar (adjust as per your taste)
- 2 green cardamoms (hari elaichi) (lightly crushed)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini) (lightly crushed)
For The Creamy Milk
- 2 cups whole milk (full-fat milk)
- 2 tablespoons khoya (crumbled)
Instructions
Make The Tea Decoction
- Add water, tea leaves, sugar, green cardamoms, and cinnamon stick into a saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low.
- Cook the tea on low heat for 30 minutes.
Make The Creamy Milk
- While the tea is cooking on dum, make the milk mixture.
- Add milk to a saucepan and bring it to a boil on medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the milk is reduced to half. Stir frequently to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan.
- Add khoya and cook for 3-4 minutes until it is mixed well in the milk.
Assemble The Chai
- Strain the tea using a tea strainer and pour ¼ cup of decoction in a serving cup.
- Top with ¾ cup of the milk mixture and serve immediately.