Fits to the tea

With the monsoon here, now's the time to put the tea on the boil. Here's how to perk up your cuppa

Now that the rains have arrived, it's time for that garma-garam-chai-ho-jaaye feeling. But move beyond the boring milk-water-tea-sugar concoction. Try these two recipes that Ishijyot Surri, executive chef and tea sommelier at Andheri's Pachinco Cafe, suggests for your brew.

Valley of flavours

Take a trip to Kashmir with kesari kahwa, a type of tea typical to the Valley. "It incorporates the ingredients available in the region," Surri says.

Ingredients
Black tea - 1 tbsp
Almonds - 2 tbsp, chopped
Pistachios - 1 tbsp, chopped
Saffron strands - 1 pinch
Water - 1 cup

Chef Ishijyot Surri

Method
Pour a cup of water in a pan and add black tea. Bring to a boil for three minutes. Strain the tea in another pan; add the above-mentioned dry fruits, and simmer for two to three minutes. Pour the tea in a tea pot, and add the saffron strands to it. Stir well.

Yummy in Yemen

Condensed tea is popular in Yemen, where it is known as shahi haleeb. Follow the recipe below to recreate the drink in Mumbai.

Ingredients
Black tea - 1 tbsp
Green cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Clove – 2 pieces
Water - 3/4 cup
Condensed milk - 2 tbsp

Method
Pour water in a pan and then add cardamom powder and cloves. Bring to a boil and add the black tea. Boil the mixture for three minutes. Strain in a cup and add the condensed milk to it.

Brewing hacks

. Grate ginger if you are using it in tea, instead of crushing it, as it will add better flavour.
. If you like your tea sweet but want to avoid white sugar, you can easily replace it with brown sugar or jaggery powder.
. Strain the tea and toss it between two vessels to get a frothy and thick restaurant-style serving at home.

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