Chai is an enigma in many ways: so simple, yet so hard to get right. It is often ruined by things like "tea masala" and Starbucks' "chai tea latte". The former is nothing more than a stale packet of garam masala and the latter a glass of hot milk with cinnamon. A good cup of chai is light on the tongue and strong on the taste buds with a kick of spice at the end. This is a recipe for my perfect cup of chai.
Back
in the day of arranged marriages, making a good cup of chai was a
prerequisite to being an eligible bride-to-be. While that might not
apply today, I'd say people (well at least I) still judge a person by
the quality of the tea they serve.
For Recipe (Click Read More)
Serves: 4
What you need:
- Loose-leaf tea powder - Found at any Indian store. My favorite is Brooke Bond 3 Roses or the one with the Taj Mahal on the front.
- Cardamon - 1 clove
- Ginger - 1/2 inch piece, grated
- Milk - 2% or whole milk (skim milk is not the way to go for this. Live a little).
*I
absolutely hate cinnamon in tea, but I know there are some die hard
fans out there, so you can add it to the list if you want.
What you do:
- First you want to pour 3 cups of water and 1 cup of milk in a stainless steel pot.
- Heat on medium heat until it starts boiling (you want to keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil over).
- Turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Grind the cardamon or just crush it under a knife and add to the pot.
- Add the ginger.
- Add the tea powder and let it all simmer for a couple of minutes until golden-brown. Good chai is the color of caramel, but you can add a little more milk or tea powder as necessary.
- Strain and serve with sugar cubes or honey.
Throw some digestive biscuits on the plate and sip away!
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