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01/11/202330:09
As India's national drink, chai is part and parcel of everyday life. It's offered to you when you pop into a friend's or neighbour's home, it acts as a social lubricant for every business transaction and it is brewed on every street corner. Chai is about connection and camaraderie – to refuse a cup would be insulting. But take heed: there's no such thing as "chai tea". The word "chai" means tea in Hindi, so when you say "chai tea", you're saying "tea tea".
Chai masala tea. Source: The Good Cooks
The aroma of freshly brewed tea would waft through the house, waking us up.
Wander around Mumbai's streets and you're bound to see roadside chai stalls (tapris) around business districts, universities and shops. These stalls are the great equaliser. From college students to the elderly and blue-collared workers to businessmen, they all drink from the same bubbling cauldron of tea.
The business of brewing tea starts at the crack of dawn and continues until dusk. No matter what time of day it is, you'll always find a crowd milling around a tea stall. For those few precious moments, the sweltering heat and the honking rickshaws fade into the background as the chai gives its drinker a welcome respite from the busyness of life. Once the chai is ready, the tea seller (chai wallah) "pulls" the tea from a great height. The reason is twofold: this quickly cools down the scalding tea and aerates it. While drinking, some customers snack on vada pav or samosas while others light up a cigarette, and the conversation covers everything from business deals to broken hearts.
ABOUT CHAI
Chai isn't just for drinking
Have you heard of the term cutting chai? "Boss, ek cutting dena" (boss, give me one cutting chai) is the common refrain heard at every tea stall. Let me explain. Given that most Indians drink tea several times every day, it's cheaper to have a small serving (half a cup) every time you visit the chai wallah. The term is an urban construct that simply refers to half a cup of tea. It's cheap, it's quick, and it's just enough to energise you until your next cup.
Most customers have a favourite chai wallah who knows exactly how they like to drink their tea: paani kam doodh (less water, more milk), kadak (strong), doodh kam paani (less milk, more water) and, my favourite, masala chai (tea with spices).
"Tea! Tea! Hot-hot tea!" Source: Alison Rodericks
Tea! Tea! Hot-hot tea!
Speaking of which, a train journey without tea is rather inconceivable. My childhood memories abound with train journeys to hill stations to escape the summer heat. As our train approached a small regional town, we'd hear the unmistakable call of the tea sellers on the platform rushing towards our carriage: "Chai! Chai! Garma-garam chai!" (Tea! Tea! Hot-hot tea!). A speedy transaction ensued – money paid for tea and snacks, all exchanged through the train window in a matter of minutes before the train chugged out of the station. Instantly revived by a cup of hot chai, we'd look forward to our next adventure.
Masala chai
Makes 4 cups
There are no hard and fast rules for this recipe; all quantities can be adjusted to your liking. If you prefer a strong cup of masala chai, add more tea leaves. If you don't like a particular spice, omit it. If you prefer your chai less milky, cut the amount of milk – you get the idea.
Ingredients
- 6 tsp loose-leaf black tea (Assam or Darjeeling)
- 2 cups water
- 6 cm cinnamon bark
- 5 cm fresh ginger, crushed
- 5 whole cloves
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 5 black peppercorns (optional)
- ¼ tsp fennel seeds (optional)
- 3-4 tsp sugar
- 2 cups milk (preferably full cream)
Method
- Using a mortar and pestle, roughly smash the whole spices and ginger to release their flavours.
- Add this to a saucepan with the tea leaves and sugar.
- When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the milk.
- Let this come to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Using a strainer, pour the masala chai into a teapot or into teacups and enjoy with some biscuits.
