There are chai recipes you make every morning without thinking, and chai recipes you make when you want someone to feel looked after. This is the second kind.
Rose and cardamom is a combination that appears across Indian cooking from Mughal-era sweets to contemporary mithai. In chai, it produces a cup that is delicate without being weak, fragrant without being perfumed, and visually, with the pale rose tint and the petals floating on the surface, quietly beautiful.
What You Need
Use dried food-grade rose petals, not potpourri. The distinction matters: culinary-grade petals are dried without fragrance additives and are intended for consumption. They are available in good spice shops and online. Rajasthani rose petals (from the Pushkar region) have a particularly concentrated flavour, but any culinary rose will work.
The saffron is optional. It deepens the colour and adds a faint earthiness that plays well with the rose. If you have it, add it. If not, the chai is complete without it.
Method
Combine the water and crushed cardamom pods in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow the cardamom to infuse for two minutes.
Add the milk and the saffron threads if using. Bring to just below a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming.
Add the tea leaves and the dried rose petals. Reduce the heat to low and steep for three minutes. Do not boil hard, as this will make the rose flavour bitter.
Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
Strain through a fine sieve into two cups. Drop a few fresh dried petals on top to serve.
Notes
The finished chai should be a very pale gold with a hint of pink, depending on the depth of colour in your rose petals. The flavour is floral on the nose and cardamom-forward on the palate, with the rose arriving in the finish.
This recipe is calibrated for two cups. It scales exactly, but do not increase the rose petals proportionally for larger batches or the floral notes become overwhelming. Use roughly 0.5 tbsp of petals per cup regardless of batch size.
Serve it on a tray, with something small and sweet alongside. This is a chai that deserves a proper presentation.