Indian Masala Tea Recipe ( chai also known as “cutting” )

There is no fixed recipe or preparation method for masala chai and many families have their own special versions of the tea. The key to making good tea is to leave the tea leaves (or tea dust) in the hot/boiling water long enough to get the flavor of the tea but not too long. Excessive exposure of tea to heat will release the bitter tannins in the tea leaves. Because of the huge range of possible variations, masala chai can be considered a class of tea rather than a specific kind. But all masala chai has the following four basic components:

Indian Masala tea recipe – indian Cutting recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tsp loose tea, usually black
• 1 piece of dry ginger
• 3 cardamom pods, crushed
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 piece of cinnamon stick
• Milk and sugar to taste

PREPARATION:

Chop up ginger into fine pieces, and break up cinnamon stick. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, then add tea leaves and all the spices. Let everything brew at boiling for 30 to 45 seconds. Remove from heat, then let steep at room temperature for another minute.

Strain out the tea and pieces of spice. Serve hot and fragrant, with only a touch of milk or sugar.

Serves 4

What is Chai?

Masala Chai, an aromatic spiced tea, has been the Indian drink of choice for hundreds of years. It is the perfect blend of freshly ground spices (chai masala) like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and , added to a boiling pot of loose leaf tea and milk to make a delicious, satisfying and healthy beverage.

It is also populary known as “cutting ” an indian slang term used for it ont he streets on bombay or Mumbai , india. What cutting really means is a quickie tea ( which means a glass off tea cut in half – so its pretty much half the quantity of a regtualr glass of masala tea) . In india specially in mumbai you can spot tea stall pretty much anywhere on the streets and get you regualr dose of “cutting ” to keep you energised and sharp or just to shout a chai to your buddy .

Some favorite Indian tea products are listed below at the popular online retailer link below

Chai stalls are a favorite meeting place to savor a hot, fresh cup (or saucer) of chai and discuss the day’s happenings. They are found all over India; from train stations in Bombay, to tiny villages around the country. Chaiwallahs are the chai vendors who serve up hot chai and hot gossip. As virtual chaiwallahs our chai stall is a place to savor authentic chai, gossip, news and information

Masala chai

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For other uses see Chai (disambiguation)

For the Hebrew word and Jewish symbol, see Chai (symbol)

A cup of masala chai.

Chai (Arabic: شَاي, Hindi: चाय, Urdu/Persian: چاى, Russian: чай, Turkish: çay ^[1], ultimately from the Chinese word chá (茶) ^[2]) is the word for tea generally in Asia, North and East Africa and Eastern Europe. Cognates in other languages include the Bengali, Gujarati, and Punjabi chāh, the Marathi chahā and the Tamil thaeneer. For the etymology of chai and related words see etymology and cognates of tea.

In India and Pakistan, chai is more popular than coffee, and street vendors called “chai wallahs” (sometimes spelled “chaiwalas”) are a common sight in many Indian and Pakistani neighborhoods. It is also popular in Irani cafés. In a typical South Asian household, chai is prepared by boiling loose leaf tea in a pot with milk, water, and (if desired) sweeteners, and spices. Spiced tea is specifically called masala chai, (Hindi (मसाला चाय [masālā chāy], “spiced tea”). Indian markets all over the world sell various brands of “chai masala,” (Hindi चाय मसाला [chāy masālā], “tea spice” ), though many households blend their own.

For many English speakers outside those regions, the term “chai” is always construed to mean “masala chai”. The redundant term “chai tea” is sometimes used to indicate spiced milky tea as distinct from other types of tea. Starbucks, which primarily serves coffee-based beverages, uses the term “chai latte” for their version to indicate that the steamed milk of a normal cafe latte is being flavored with a spiced tea concentrate instead of with espresso.

Ingredients and methods

There is no wrong way to prepare it. The most commonly used ingredients include;
Cardamom – A wonderfully fragrant spice that comes in two varieties: green and black. Green cardamom is what you want for chai. To attain the full flavor of cardamom you should heat it in a hot pan, stirring constantly until the aroma strengthens.
Cinnamon – A common spice but usually used in ground form. Cinnamon should be used in chunk or stick form for chai. Sticks should be crushed before use.
Cloves – Cloves are another commonly used spice but only whole cloves should be used for chai. Only one or two cloves are enough to infuse a large pot of chai.
Pepper – Pepper is available in black, white and green varieties. Whole peppercorns should always be purchased for cooking and for making chai. Simply grind when needed.
Ginger – Ginger is a root that should be purchased fresh. Ginger has a pungent, almost citrus flavor with warming effects.

Nutmeg – Nutmeg is extensively used in Indian cuisine and frequently in US baking. Mace is the outer husk of the nutmeg and has a subtle cinnamon and pepper flavor. When using nutmeg or mace in chai, add them at the last minute as they lose flavor quickly when heated.

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