RAG Demo

Tag: Indian

  • Masala Chai

    Masala chai as India drinks it today is a twentieth-century habit. The British-run Indian Tea Association promoted tea in the early 1900s, and vendors at railway stations made it their own by boiling cheap CTC leaves with milk, sugar and spices. Now it is poured from kettles at every street corner, office and household, often several times a day.

    Good masala chai is strong, sweet and creamy, with spice that warms rather than overwhelms. Ginger gives heat, cardamom fragrance, and cloves, cinnamon and black pepper depth. The key is boiling the tea and milk together and letting the pot rise a couple of times, which tea-stall vendors do by instinct.

    At a glance

    RegionPan-Indian
    CuisineIndian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBeverage
    Prep time5 minutes
    Cook time8 minutes
    Total time13 minutes
    Serves2
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientstea leaves / milk / ginger / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup water
    • 1 cup full-fat milk
    • 2 tsp strong CTC tea leaves
    • 2-3 tsp sugar, to taste
    • 1 inch fresh ginger, crushed
    • 3 green cardamoms, crushed
    • 2 cloves
    • 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
    • 2 black peppercorns, crushed (optional)
    • 4-5 tulsi leaves (optional)

    Method

    1. Crush the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and pepper coarsely in a mortar. Crush the ginger separately.
    2. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the crushed spices and ginger and boil for 2 minutes until the water turns pale golden and fragrant.
    3. Add the tea leaves and boil for 1 minute until the liquid turns deep reddish-brown.
    4. Pour in the milk and add the sugar and tulsi. Bring to a boil.
    5. When the chai rises to the top of the pan, lower the heat and let it settle, then raise the heat again. Repeat 2-3 times over 3-4 minutes, until the colour turns a rich tan and the chai thickens slightly.
    6. Strain into cups and serve immediately.

    Tips

    • Add ginger before the milk; boiling raw ginger in milk can make it curdle.
    • Make a batch of chai masala powder (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, dry ginger) and use 1/4 tsp per two cups for convenience.
    • For 'kadak' chai, use an extra teaspoon of tea and boil longer after adding the milk.

    Serve with

    Parle-G or Marie biscuits, samosas, pakoras or bun maska.

  • Rice Kheer

    Kheer is among the oldest Indian desserts, mentioned in early texts as a temple offering, and it remains the sweet most associated with puja and celebrations. It goes by many names – payasam in the south, payesh in Bengal, phirni when the rice is ground – and is cooked for birthdays, Eid, Navratri, Sharad Purnima and countless Sunday lunches.

    The essential technique is patience. A small amount of rice is simmered in a large amount of whole milk for close to an hour, so the milk reduces, sweetens naturally and turns faintly cream-coloured while the rice softens and thickens it. Cardamom, saffron and nuts finish it. It can be served warm or chilled.

    At a glance

    RegionPan-Indian
    CuisineIndian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time55 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / milk / sugar / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup basmati or gobindobhog rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
    • 1 litre full-fat milk
    • 1/3 cup sugar (about 70 g)
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
    • 1 tsp ghee
    • 2 tbsp sliced almonds
    • 1 tbsp chopped pistachios
    • 1 tbsp raisins

    Method

    1. Drain the rice and toss it in the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan on low heat for 1 minute.
    2. Pour in the milk and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring so it does not catch.
    3. Lower the heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes and scraping the milk solids from the sides back into the pan.
    4. When the rice is completely soft and the milk has reduced by about half to a creamy consistency, lightly crush some of the rice grains with the back of the ladle.
    5. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves, then simmer for 5 more minutes.
    6. Stir in the cardamom, saffron milk, almonds, pistachios and raisins and turn off the heat.
    7. Serve warm, or cool and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. It will thicken considerably when cold.

    Tips

    • A heavy pan, or a non-stick one, is essential; thin pans scorch the milk and give the kheer a burnt taste.
    • Add sugar only once the rice is fully cooked – it stops rice from softening further.
    • For a quicker version, pressure cook the rice in 2 cups of the milk for 2 whistles, then simmer with the rest.

    Serve with

    Puri and a dry sabzi at a festive meal, or on its own chilled.