Chai Ki Chuskee! | A Sip of Tea

About a couple of weeks back, I got a Kadak Chai direct from the manufacturer with no middle distribution channel. It arrived, and I was totally taken in by the chai. I found the box and started to read before the unboxing and see the “Kadak Chai Ki Pathee.” Now, the interesting thing about this chai is that the flavors were a little different from my usual array of tea choices.

So, I headed to the kitchen and unpacked the carton. I found the tea was ctc (crush, tear, and curl process) leaves, while wondering how I am going to make this tea a little different from regular chai routine?!! My mind was slowly brewing with a plan. The urge was to drink tea without planning and just try to wing it with extempore method.

I had this chai for a week because the first-time experience is never repeated when you change the method quiet often. Personally, I love to spend time with just the tea leaves and how it brews in different state of base water alone, water plus milk, condensed milk diluted with water, or adding condensed milk with water and milk instead of sugar. There are multiple levels varied ingredients that I kept using permutation and combination conditions.

Taste Varies with Each Combo of Ingredients

So, I had a little tin-can of the condensed milk, and I decided that I will try that method as a second-round tea. The first method should always be to observe how the leaves looks, feels in your hands when you sift it, how it colors the water and smell of the essence of the flavors rise as it brews. All the five senses would be used sight, smell, touch, sound, and finally the taste.

I love to play around with tea leave so much that it takes a long time to emotionally understand leaves, and then to find the Zen in the brewing process. Sometimes, it is understanding all the utensils used, leaves color, weight, dryness, texture, and other vital aspects of chai pattee. It is almost a lab experiment for me.

Brewing Strength Determines the Intensity of Chai

There is a range for the kind of chai people enjoy. Some like it dark, some like it light, some want certain flavored chai, but eventually all these can be achieved by regulating the brewing method. So, I decided that the second brew method that I intend to make with the condensed milk.

It took me a while to understand the economy class chai from the makeshift stalls on the roadside has a different style of brewing. The popular image of the stall chai is the water boiler with a tap as it sat on a tripod while an inbuilt coal fire warming the boiler. While brewing the chai pattee is left in the strainer, and the touch of bitterness that keeps lingering in every sip stem from old leaves left below and the chai is ultra strong.

The joy is the serving of chai in transparent glass cups which are in smaller size. At home serving of the tea is usually a mug. But the chai on the roadside dispels the tedium and sleep and the mug chai is more of mild wake up call. When driving post-lunch or any repast the next stop would usually be the tea stall.

My Brew with Condensed Milk

Personally, I take my chai without sugar and touch of milk siding more to watery consistency. Since I like it so, I occasionally like sweetened chai too! So, I decided that I would do a 50-50 of the milk and condensed milk but ruled out since it would be too sweet. So, I hit a plan of 70-20-10 ratio of water, milk, and condensed milk.

The milk and the condensed milk are added after the water sweats in the bottom of the vessel. They are now heated up together. The trickiest part comes post-usage washing. It would require the vessel to be soak in water for an hour to remove the marks of milk. The boiled milk and condensed milk would collect around the rim causing residual materials in the vessel which requires meticulous cleaning.

When all three have combined and comes to a thick consistency reduce flame and let the tea leaves simmer in the mixture. In this case the sugar need not be added unless you really like your chai to be super sweet. After the chai colors the mixture of milk, water, and condensed milk start the intensity of the brew. Then, it is time to let the chai simmer until you get the desired color and intensity of brew that you need.

Strain the chai mixture into a cup and get some cookies on a plate, settle down to enjoy a cup of condensed milk chai. Happy brewing and drinking of the beverage.    

Image Source: Personal Collection 2023

Update on Tuesday, December 9, 2023

Cardamom Tea with Kadak Chai Pattee

There were a lot of experimentation for me once I got the hang of the chai pattee brew intensity. I learned a few things:

1. Do not over boil the tea leaves, it might result in bitter after taste.
2. Make sure the milk is just right and not over the limit.
3. The colouring from the chai leaves is intense so take care and decide the level that you need!
4. Use the right amount of cardamom kernels for that right taste. If not it will be payasam! (a dessert in Tamil Cuisine)
5. Take your time to enjoy the chai, maybe even grab a book while you are at it!
6. Enjoy Life, it is just swell!