MY GUILTEA- PLEASURE
In the amid of lockdown, there’s one
thing that I miss, is the chai tapri near my college. It is an important ritual
as an Indian to start our day with, a perfect, steaming cup of tea. Chai tapri
isn’t just a place where we drink tea, it’s a place where two people fall in
love, strangers become friends, it’s a daily hangout spot with our colleagues
and friends. Over that one cup of tea, we discuss friendship, love, politics,
and life in general. We all have our favorite nukad around the
city.
Even in a diverse country like ours,
‘chai’ is the most popular and loved drink through its length and breadth of
India. It is in our blood, every time we have a guest come over, we greet them
with chai. Every kitty party or family gathering is incomplete without tea and
some biscuits. The black tea leaves with a mix of some spices and the warm
earthy color of Chai helps us bond with people effortlessly and go through our
mundane daily affairs. Chai is so calming by its nature. It helps us to deal
with stress and is a perfect partner to pull out an all-nighter. It is an
integral part of our lives.
I’m a tea person and my love for it, is beyond measures. It's a perfect drink for any kind of weather. Having a
plate full of garam pakodas with chai on a raining evening is my ‘guiltea
pleasure’. Sitting in my balcony and drinking chai, with my dad, and jamming
to good old ’70s is my guiltea pleasure and it is the most favorite part
of my day. We have all our ‘guiltea pleasure’ moments in our life’s and
that’s what keeps us going.
Tea offers us a sheer amount of variety and never bores us (Chai is kullad than coffee!!!). Did you know, Da-Hong Pao tea is the most expensive tea in the world and costs more than gold? It’s worth is 1.2 million dollars per kilogram, yes you heard that right!! Panda dung tea is also one of the most expensive tea in the world and is made from panda bear droppings. They have a diet of bamboo shoots and tea leaves, later which is extracted from their droppings and it costs $70,000 per kilogram. This tea is perfect for people who are willing to try something new. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind trying it out!
I feel making tea is an art. Everyone
likes their tea in a particular way and if it isn’t the way you like it then,
it’s not worth it. Here I’m going to tell you, how I make my perfect cup of
tea. How you like your tea is very subjective, you can always alter the
ingredients according to your choice. Remember patience is the key here and put
all your love while making it!
2 tbsp sugar/ jaggery (adjust it
according to your preference).
2 to 3 green cardamom.
2 to 3 cloves.
1 inch ginger.
1 tsp fennel seeds.
½ inch cinnamon.
2 to 3 peppercorns.
3 to 4 strands of saffron.
2 to 3 Mint leaves or
lemongrass.
2 cups of water.
½ cup of milk (you can always
adjust the milk according to your taste).
Method:
- Take a nice clean saucepan. Pour water into it
and bring it to a boil.
- Crush all the spices in a hand pestle or spice
blender. Add it to boiling water along with the crushed ginger
and mint leaves or lemongrass.
- Add tea powder and sugar/jaggery. Boil it for
good 2 to 3 minutes on medium flame.
- Once all the spices and tea leaves are brewed
well, pour milk into it and let it simmer for 2 to 3 mins or until it
thickens and darkens in color on medium flame.
- Your masala chai is ready. Filter the chai and
serve it hot with some snacks.
Tip: The malai over your chai is as unwanted as people’s opinions
about you. Don’t let them bother you. Until then stay safe, stay hydrated.
Loved it, efficiently explained 👌❣️
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot!!!
DeleteBeautifully written Marina!! 😍
ReplyDeleteMake me wanna make a cup of chai right now 🤤☕️
Thank you so much!!! :)
DeleteAmazing ❤️
ReplyDeleteThanksssss a ton!!!
Delete👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
ReplyDeleteThankss much!!! :)))
DeleteMarinaaaaaaa this is BEAUTYYYYY! Totally love it.❤️
ReplyDeleteThank youuu, means a lot!!!! :)
DeleteCan't wait to have our 'Guiltea Party' together 🤭♥️
ReplyDeleteyessss!!!
DeleteCan’t wait to end our sleepovers with a cup of chai! guiltea, not guilty!☕️
ReplyDeletesame here!!! ')
Delete