Chai in Mysore

Life here in Mysore for us goes like this:  yoga class at 4.30 am, home for a rest, out to a local cafe for Indian breakfast, usually idli, pick up some shopping and back to cook lunch or to the shala for an 11.00am chanting class 3 times per week.

As we are normally home for lunch we usually go out for a chai in the afternoons, most times to the Amruth cafe on the high street here in Gokalum where the boys now know us and our request for no sugar is unusual for them

Adam placing his order and some other westerners are giving it a try

Adam bringing the chai from the Amruth Cafe

The chai wallah brothers

These chai wallahs (vendors) are all brothers and work hard from morning until night 7 days a week, but they are outside and very socially connected.

The word chai itself means simply tea, but in the west it has come to mean masala chai, which is the spiced tea drink made throughout India typically in many different ways, although normally using 'warming spices'.  The spice mix called karha uses mainly ground ginger and cardamom pods and may also contain all or some of cinnamon, fennel, cloves, pepper sometimes even nutmeg, rose and liquorice root and in Bhopal they add salt.  An American addition from Oregan is to add vanilla pod.

Masala Chai Spice Mix

The best way is to dry roast your spices and make a powder to keep in a jar.  The heat will bring out the natural oils of your spices and make the flavour of your chai more robust.

Heat your frying pan to medium high and add the following:

1in piece cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods shelled (seeds removed from the pods)
8 black peppercorns


Stir continually for about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool for about 20 minutes.  Add the following:

1/2 ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp dry ginger powder

Grind in an electric coffee grinder or use a pestle and mortar to mix the spices to a powder.

Store in a sealed jar and use as required, recipe follows.

Making the Chai - serves 4

4 of tea leaves or tea powder as they use in India
3 cups of water
1 cup of milk
1 tsp masala chai mix
2 tsp jaggery, honey, agave or your chosen sweetener

1. Boil the water in a pot and add the tea leaves, masala mix and your sweetener, bring to a boil again and simmer for 5 minutes.  
2. Strain over the cup and serve.

Options

For a Kashmiri chai use green tea and add crushed almonds.  For an Oregon chai add a vanilla pod to the simmering mixture.