In India, no one ever calls ahead before dropping in a for a visit. Maybe you are sitting at home one fine evening, reading a fabulous book and have just come to the clincher. Or maybe watching a suspense thriller where the culprit is about to be caught. Right at that crucial moment, the doorbell chimes.
If you are like my dad, you will grit your teeth, mutter something unintelligent under your breath and open the door. If you are anything like my Mom, you will wear the biggest smile on the planet, and fly to the door to open it. And find your previous neighbor from ten years ago standing outside, visiting with his entire brood of 4 kids, Mrs previous neighbor, and maybe even his little dog Tuffy.
So what do you do? You exclaim, “Aayiye Aaiyye! Andar aaiye!’ After exchanging pleasantries and pretending you are at this point thrilled to see the unannounced guests, you utter the magical words - Chai lenge?’
Translated, you invite them in with enthusiasm (Come in! come in!) and then ask, ‘Will you have tea?’
The ‘chai’ is often served with another rescue item – biscuits, a must in every Indian cabinet. Sitting pretty in dainty china cups placed carefully on a tray, this beautiful brown beverage has rescued many an unprepared host and has taken such ‘hostage’ situations to a new level of hospitality savvies.
The word garam, by the way, means ‘hot’. ‘Garam Chai’ is ‘hot tea’.
If you thought that’s where the chai saga stops, well, let me tell you it hasn’t even begun. Every evening, after coming back from office, Mr GG demands tea. He gets it. Half an hour later, he requests it again. More often than not, he gets it. An hour later, he cajoles me into making it. Eventually he gets it, along with a stinky eye.
Chai ( rhymes with buy) is possibly the most used food term in India. It has many different variations – cha, chai, masala chai, nimbu chai – generally a slight deviation of the main word – cha. Originally from China, Cha traveled to Persia, and then came to India through the Silk Route and made this warm, diverse and beautiful country its permanent home. Extensively grown in the North Eastern State of Assam, chai has become synonymous with ‘spiced tea’ in the west.
My Nana (my maternal grandpa) lived in Assam. He was a doctor by profession, and a tea lover in person. He served as a Doctor in Indian Railways, and was once posted in Assam. He fell in love with the place, quit his job, and started his practice, eventually building up a substantial pharmaceutical business. His house was bordered with miles and miles of tea estates. As a kid, I remember visiting the beautiful tea gardens, punctuated by tea garden workers carrying gunny sacks on their backs. I remember running in and around the grooved tea bushes, playing hide and seek, picking green tea leaves, and sometimes treated to warm fuzzy smiles of the tea estate workers, and at others, being chased away.
My Nani (grandmother) would make gallons and gallons of tea throughout the entire day, with maids serving one glass after the other to the 15-20 odd members who were present in that house at any given time of the day.
Kulhad tea (Image courtesy chaishaietc.com)
Doesn’t matter how it is served – whether in delicate porcelain tea cups , baked clay cups (kulhad) or small glass tumblers- chai has been a part of daily life for at least a couple of centuries now, if not more. Few in the subcontinent have known life as it was before this unpretentious brown beverage made its way into the common man’s daily routine. You might not find restrooms in many public places, but you will definitely find a tea vendor everywhere, pouring the hot liquid of refreshing deliciousness from large simmering pans into small glasses. Brilliant minds have often completed their thesis on Nuclear medicine or Engineering design modules in these small cramped tea vending stalls. No wonder it comes as a shock to us when Chai is treated as some kind of a specialty beverage by our western counterparts.
Like all other food ingredients, Chai too has travelled to new frontiers, creating new signature beverages that have nothing to do with the original chai – the one that had won the hearts of the colonist East India Company, who then took it to England, and made it famous all around the world. If you ever visit an Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi household, chances are you would be greeted with a hot cup of tea, completely original, following the chai making tradition of their own family.
The four ingredients that are a must to an Indian tea no matter which region it is from are water, milk, tea leaves, and sugar. Depending on the region, family traditions and taste, spices are added. My parents don’t use any spice in their tea, while my friend who is from Maharashtra (Mumbai) uses a very special spice mix containing 7 different spices to make her cuppa. The following is a recipe that I use. This tea uses only two spice ingredients – ginger and cardamom. You can make the tea with either one, or both of them, and if you want, you can omit them completely.
Come, have some with me 
 Bring water to boil |
 ginger and cardamom |
 mash ginger |
 mashed ginger |
 ginger and cardamom in water boiling |
 Add tea leaves |
 simmering tea leaves |
 Add milk |
 Bring it a boil |
 Stir to mix well |
 cover for a minute |
 place a strainer on teapot |
 strain tea |
 after straining |
 Pour and serve |
Printable recipe below
This serves 4 teacups (4 sippers / 3 gusty drinkers / 1 tea addict)
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tsp Tea Leaves
- Sugar to taste
- If adding spices:
- 1 cardamom mashed
- 1″ ginger mashed
- Bring the water to boil
- Add tea
- Lower the heat and let it simmer for 30 seconds
- Add milk.
- Add cardamom and ginger.
- Swirl the kettle so that it gets mixed in well.
- Bring it to boil again, and switch off the heat.
- Cover with a tight lid and let it sit for 2 minutes. Make sure the steam does not escape.
- Strain and pour in a teapot.
- Pour in individual cups, spoon in sugar as desired and serve hot.
There is nothing quite like Indian tea according to my mum
She would drink all of your batch no doubt
Beautiful colour and I learnt a lot from your post!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Thanks Uru!! My husband would agree with your Mom right away, and would plant himself firmly in her kitchen if she were to serve him tea. Ironically, before I came to US, I didn’t even know so many varieties of tea exist.
Minnie recently posted..Garam Chai! – The Quintessential Indian Tea
I must admit to being more of a coffee fan but I do appreciate a cup of tea every now and again. I can imagine this must have a wonderful, warm and spicy aroma. By the way – what sort of tea leaves do you use? I might have a try at making this but would need to get some tea first. Can I just use any Indian tea, like ceylon or assam / darjeeling?
I use an Indian brand called Lipton Red Label ‘dust’ black tea. Normally, the boiled tea that Indians drink is made out of ‘dust’ tea leaves, which is a by product of the dried leafy tea leaves. ‘Dust’ produces much stronger flavour, which is more compatible with the boiling method than the infusing method of tea making. Long dried black loose tea leaves like Darjeeling are more suitable to infusing in hot water method, but you can still use them to make tea in this fashion. The flavours however would be much milder, even a little bitter at times, and the colour of the tea would be much lighter.
If you can get ‘dust’ tea, that’s ideal (I think Ahmed tea makes dust tea). Else you can use any Indian tea.
Did I confuse you?
Minnie recently posted..Garam Chai! – The Quintessential Indian Tea
I’m mad for a really nicely mad chai. And I love how you describe everyone’s different reactions because my parents sound very similar when people knock on their door!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella recently posted..A Mondrian Battenberg Cake – Daring Bakers June 2012 Challenge
hahahahahaha!! My dad definitely makes it look like a painful experience
)
Minnie recently posted..Garam Chai! – The Quintessential Indian Tea
Adhrak wali chai – My favorite drink…. I just love the taste and aroma of ginger in the tea… Ur post just got me reminded of my home since I prepare tea for the family in early morning and we have it with marie biscuit… It’s a tradition followed in every Indian household.
Oh yes!! Marie biscuit and tea…yummmm!!!
Minnie recently posted..Garam Chai! – The Quintessential Indian Tea
My father is the tea nut in our family, I am coffee crazed, but I love my chai too. I like masala chai on occasion but most of the time it’s the Persian elaichi chai for me or pudina chai. I love your detailed pictures and instructions.
In our family when everyone gets together, my khalas literally hide from the men in fear that they will ask for tea….every hour. It’s pretty ridiculous. Well, we are Hyderabadi so our family motto is:
“khaney hona”
Btw, my nana was also in the Railways, he travelled all over India working for them.
Take care my friend,
Nazneen
Coffee and Crumpets recently posted..Battenberg Cake ~ June 2012 Daring Bakers Challenge
“Khaney hona’….how would like to be a fly on the wall when you guys make that YUMMM Hyderabadi biryani….
Thankfully I never really developed a taste for either tea of coffee. Which is quite strange, considering my parents are addicts and my husband could qualify for a ‘tea addict rehabilitation center’ if one ever existed.
Minnie recently posted..Garam Chai! – The Quintessential Indian Tea
I love chai tea; although, mine is probably a little more Americanized … Would love to try your version, though
CJ at Food Stories recently posted..Indian Pudding Day & I’m a Winner
It’s an interesting version, and ginger tea is quite beneficial too, healthwise.
Minnie recently posted..Garam Chai! – The Quintessential Indian Tea
This was really interesting, Minnie. Thank you for sharing! I studied a couple years of Russian language, and tea is also referred to as chai, and Russians have similar culutural connection with their chai.
I loved the part about finding chai where you might not find a restroom! lol
Erin {Recimplicity} recently posted..Apple Raisin Kale Salad
Thanks Erin!!!
I didn’t know that about Russia…how very interesting!! Thanks for telling me. How awesome is that!!
Minnie recently posted..Garam Chai! – The Quintessential Indian Tea
I have a friend who is addicted to Chai Tea. She has to have it every day. Just loves it. I love the smell of it xx
Hotly Spiced recently posted..You Are Awesome!
If you ever have cold, there’s nothing like some ginger black tea. It’s extremely relieving.
Minnie recently posted..Garam Chai! – The Quintessential Indian Tea
This looks so good. I love a great cup of tea.
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Thanks Misty!
Thank you Minnie for the link..
I loved reading your post and look forward to trying your tea recipe
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