Chai Walla's Chai Temple page

Morning!

Hope that you're all well and feeling thirsty!

Here is the fundamentals: feel free to improvise, substitute as you like! One Nepali even told me to put salt into it to bring out the flavor. Why not?

For Best and Nicest Chai do the following:

~assemble~

• Stick Cinnamon
• Fresh Ginger Root (peeled and slightly crushed)
• Fennel Seeds
• Cardamom Pods (broken a bit)
• Black Pepper Corns (broken)
• Cloves (broken up)
• Nutmeg
• Loose Black Tea (Assam is most authentic)
• Sugar (or sweetener)
• Milk (dairy or soy)

This is the approximate recipe for two good cups of chai, play around with the quantities till you achieve a taste you like.

Put one stick of cinnamon broken up,
A thumb size piece of ginger sliced,
A pinch of fennel seeds,
Three cardamom pods broken open,
Four black pepper corns,
Four cloves,
A scrape of nutmeg.

Best to grind them in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Not to a powder, mostly chunky with a bit of powder.

chai anyone?

Put these into two cups of water and bring to the boil, once boiling add the black tea, approximately small handful, and then add the soy milk.  Keep heating till hot enough but do not boil as the soy milk will separate.  Your chai is now ready to be strained and served.  Enjoy!

If you are a Chai Master already and want to make your work more authentic, do the following:

• Drink it out of a saucer.
• Wear a mustache and slurp.
• Use the cheapest tea available, assam for sure.
• Try to drink it near a busy road, within sight of cows.
• If you have a noxious or bad smell in your area, be sure to go nearby to drink and/or make your chai.
• Add more sugar by weight than water.
• Use a glass of dubious cleanliness.
• Squat while drinking.
• Drink chai with a blanked over your head, slurping noisily.

Tips for India travelers:

Chai is the national drink, so say a prayer (preferably a long one) before drinking, even in company.

Do not pay more than 6 rupees for any chai, unless it is in a restaurant, tho with inflation, even chai might have gone up!

Do not be put off the the chai walla is a child. He still may have made more cups of chai than you have! The danger there is the child's natural sweet tooth, which may make it delicious to him and undrinkable to you!

Chai is safer than water.

If you find yourself without purpose or method, remember the old sadhu saying:

"Chai, chillum, chappati, chelo Parvati"

This is your mantra! All the things one needs to do or have in life is in this saying!

• Best go to India and find out for yourself...