In India we consume a lot of tea mixed with spices, masala chai . This infusion is the national drink of our country and we offer it as a sample of hospitality in homes and shops and there are even street vendors in many streets.
This drink, which was consumed here since time immemorial, was first appreciated for its benefits as a medicine. At the end of the 19th century, under the British Empire, a campaign was launched to promote its use among the local population, encouraging its consumption and giving it for example during work breaks. Although at first it was taken in the English style, with milk and sugar it soon adapted to local taste by adding spices: the masala chai was born.
The mixture (masala) of this infusion varies depending on each house, although most agree that they include a mixture of so-called “hot spices” such as cardamom, cloves, pepper, star anise, ginger and cinnamon mixed with black tea, sugar and milk. Each family has its own recipe for masala chai and there is always a glass ready to offer to anyone who is visiting.
If you are going to prepare the tea at home remember that you should not let the mixture boil a lot since the tea oxidizes and creates a bitter taste. In addition, after boiling it is necessary to strain the liquid so that there are no remains of leaves or lumps.
In summer this tea is taken cold or whipped with cream.
Diving on the Internet, you will find as many chai masala recipes as there are blogs. We recommend that you choose one and have it with dessert after a good plate of basmati rice. Namaste!
Source: http://blog.sundaririce.com/el-te-indio-o-masala-chai-un-viaje-para-los-sentidos/
RECIPE
Masai Chai is a tea prepared with spices. It is of Indian origin, and the stories say that it has medicinal properties, and that it is used to combat the cold of the Himalayas.
It is very aromatic and, although there is a composition vaguely standard which consists of cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger and pepper we can adjust it to our preferences. Here we prepare it more or less as follows:
3 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 year star
1 piece of fresh ginger
4 cups of water
2 tea bags
1 cup of milk
Sweetener to taste
The preparation is simple: just put everything but the sweetener and the milk to heat in a pot and let it boil 5 minutes.
Cut the heat and add the milk, sweeten and serve.
Of course, we can vary the ingredients to our liking, take it cold, hot, etc. It's a matter of getting to play with the Masala Chai.
