A long and tiring day and came back home from work looking forward to a cup of delicious masala “chai” (spiced Indian tea). Tea has an ancient history and comprises four predominant types- green, white, oolong and black. In India the consumption of black tea with milk is very popular. Addition of milk to tea is more a British practice. They started to add milk to the boiling tea to cool the liquid down thus preventing the breakage of the tiny China tea cups in which tea was served.
This most commonly consumed beverage, is a refreshing drink and does not contribute much to the nutritional load even if milk is added to it. The proteins and calcium in milk are bound by the polyphenols in tea and are thus unavailable to the human body. Thus tea is more a psychological energizer almost devoid of much nutrients.
The preparation of milk tea varies from region to region in India. Apart from milk, spices such as cinnamon, pepper, saffron, ginger etc. are added to make it more flavorful.
The magic and secret of a good masala “chai” is in the “chai masala” a powder comprising an aromatic blend of spices. These spices not only make the tea interesting but also add to the variety in flavor.
RECIPE
- Cloves – 50Gms
- Green cardamom – 100Gms
- Pepper – 20 Gms
- Cinnamon – 2 Sticks
- Mace – 1 Big strand
- Black cardamom – 25Gms
- Dry ginger powder – 100Gms
- Nutmeg powder – 1 Std tsp
Dry roast all the whole spices in a heavy bottomed pan. Cool the spices. Pulverize into a fine powder along with ginger and nutmeg powder. Store in airtight containers.
