Masala Chai - Sweet, Aromatic Nostalgia
Growing up in East India, “chai” is perhaps the most common word of the morning! Chai means tea. Each of the 29 states of India has its own characteristics -- from language to food, from celebrations to clothing, from geographic diversity to government policies. Yet there is one word that unites them more than most other: Chai. This is one of the reasons the British came to India and did not want to leave! Darjeeling Tea is one of the refinements that this third world country taught even the British aristocracy. Each morning of my teenage years started with flavorful cup of Chai brewed in freshly steamed milk with a strong bias towards sweetness Assam and Darjeeling are the two provinces of India that have extensive tea plantations — the former, a bit tangy and darker color; the later, aroma of flora with a range of refined flavor and lighter color brew. Always hand-picked, a pound of Darjeeling crop, often referred to as the champagne of tea. can range from $5 to $500, depending on size of leaves, flavor of brew (called Liquor), processed vs. not, baby leaves (green tea) vs.dried mature leaves (black tea).
Chai is the Indian (Hindi) word for tea. I always cringe a bit when I hear people here say “Chai tea.” Masala Chai, or spiced tea is a version of chai, that is more prominent in Northern India. Nostalgia takes over as I reminisce the small living room air in my childhood Kolkata house filled with light toasting aroma of whole cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg on hot wok, followed by the clanking of mortar-pestle; my mother working sitting on the floor on tiny and memory-filled kitchen. A small palm-full of this spice gets tossed into a pot of boiling milk delivered by the neighboring milkman who called his cows Ganga, Godavari, Saraswati - after various sacred rivers of India. By the time the spices blend in, the dry tea leaves soften, and deliberate, attentive stirring thickens the milk. To be an expert Chai-wala (seller) on the street, you have to be able to strain your tea with the pot held up several feet above the strainer over clay tea cups, to aerate and infuse this quintessential Indian beverage with prana!
Chai Recipe for Your Own Pleasure
Equipment: Mortar and pestle, strainer
Ingredients
1 cup water
2-3 cm ginger
4 cardamoms pods, 2 cloves, 1 stick of cinnamon
3-4 tbsp black tea – Assam region tea will give a stronger tea flavor than Darjeeling tea, in general
2 tbsp jaggery – a type of Indian raw sugar, made from sugar cane, or dates
1 ½ cup whole milk
Instructions
Put the water in a saucepan to boil.
Then, with the help of a pestle, gently break the ginger or cut into slices.
Break the spices in the mortar.
Add the ginger and spice in the water and let it boil.
Add the black tea and boil for another 2 minutes.
Add the jaggery, or brown sugar, or coconut sugar, or even raw honey, and mix well until dissolved.
Add milk and mix.
Let it boil for another 2-3 minutes, stirring attentively.
Notes
In India, there is a tradition of pouring the masala chai from one glass to the other to oxygenate before drinking. If you want to try it for the experience, be careful not to get burned.
There are several variations of Indian masala chai that add other spices. If you like any of these below, it’s worth a try.
Black pepper, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, fennel seeds. Do not forget to break the spice in a pestle before adding it to the pan.
You can also add bay leaves. In Middle Eastern countries it is not uncommon to ass saffron to add a level of sophistication and amazing flavor.
For sweetening, if you want it to taste like the Indian masala chai, put 4 tablespoons as they like it very sweet. And remember that Masala chai always taste better when you add friends, Indian music, snacks, or a good book!