I woke up this morning with a wicked hankering for a good cup of chai.
Of all the chai walla's I visited in India, this cat had it down! He was theatre to watch. I figured since I'm reliving the fantasy, I might as well share.
...crushing fresh ginger with the all-purpose kitchen gadget: pliers.
...tossing the ginger into the boiling tea leaves...
...adding the milk...
...giving it a stir...
...adding freshly ground spices (cardamom, clove, star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns)...
(...stir some more...)
...add plenty of sugar and give it a vigorous last whirl...
...strain it...
et voilà! Best chai walla experience on the books. And then there's my favorite home brewed experience...
I met this chap when I stopped in his village to ask if I might take a photo of his house. He was thrilled and invited me in for a cup of chai, as is the custom.
Whoa, this cup of chai blew my chappals off! Or, more accurately, melted me into a puddle of 'ooh'ing and 'aah'ing. Seriously, it was made with fresh goat's milk and was the creamiest cup of warm, spicy goodness to ever cross my lips. I can still taste it, which, this morning, is going to have to suffice.
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Sounds AMAZING! But whats a girl to do now when shes thousands of miles away from the good stuff in India? ;)
ReplyDeletethanks for photo doc'ing this. i love the detail about the pilers!
ReplyDeleteafsaneh
Oh wow! Thanks for sharing. I love chai and have always been too lazy to look for the recipe. I love that you basically told me how to make it via your blog. Awesome pictures too.
ReplyDeleteIt's all in the fresh ginger that he used. NOTHING compares to that!
ReplyDeletemy best memory of India is getting invited into a house where they offered chai tea. we could not say 'no' and soon after the daughter of the house ran out to milk the yak that was parked out front. never in my life had i tasted better chai than that moment!
ReplyDelete