I am a coffee person.You know that by now, don't you?
But you know what? Almost 60% of Indians are tea drinkers.Major tea drinkers. Tea afficianados. Tea lovers. Tea obsessed. Call them what you will, here's the low down on them...
Just like us coffee drinkers cant do without coffee, the tea drinkers or the "chai walas" love their golden brown hued drink too..just as much, if not more. :P
For as long as I can remember, I have woken up to the smell of freshly brewed tea made by my mom. She would steal 10 minutes for herself before yet another mad day began and savour her little cup of joy..or gulp it down at times when she was really pressed for time.
We are three of us...It was no mean feat getting three kids ready for school, sending my dad off for work before she went to work too. It must have been really tough,and she must be the possessor of extraordinary magical powers to have done it all so so gracefully, calmly and cheerfully.
There are days when I lose it with just one kid!!
Exasperation...Irritation..Losing my cool,even if momentarily, I do all of the above.
But not she.
So tea...yes, that was her morning connect. It still is...
Similarly for most of us, while the morning cup of tea is about recharging our batteries and bracing ourselves, the evening cup of tea is more like a ritual..a way to bond with the family..to strike a rapport with a stranger..to share confidances with a friend and sometimes to simply be yourself at the end of a tiring day.
There is no fixed way of making tea..Every home has a different spice blend or masala that is added to give it the distinct flavor..Every home cherishes the secret tea leaf blend ratio ...every household feels theirs is the best brewed tea ever.
I don't do tea much. But I do make it for P all the time.and for my Ma-in-law when she visits..and yes, we do share wonderful stories and memories over these hot cups of glorious tea.
Occasionally the desi in me gives into the age old concoction and simply desires a cup of chai..especially on rainy or cold evenings, when there is nothing I long for more than a good cup of ginger tea or "adrak wali chai" and some hot pakodas or fritters of a sort.
It is a very simple tea..totally not glamorized by any special flavor trappings or the exotic tea leaf blends one raves about so much.. Its pretty much down to earth,strong, hearty and honest..just like me. And I am sur you would love it too .
RECIPE:
Ingredients:
- Milk - 1 cup
- Water - 1 cup
- Tea dust - 2 tbsp
- Sugar- 4 tsp
- Fresh Ginger pounded - 1/2 inch
- Peppercorn - 2 or 3.
Method:
- Start by peeling the ginger and pounding it in a mortar and pestle.
- Heat the water in a sauce pan, add the pounded ginger and peppercorn and let it come to a boil.
- It should be fragrant.
- Add the milk, the tea leaf and sugar.
- Let it come to a rolling boil .
- Lower the flame and simmer for 2-3 mins till brewed.
- Pour into cups using a fine mesh sieve..
- Serve hot with cookies, tea time cakes and savories like fritters for a perfect start.
Love,
S :)