Talented chef & author, Ivor Peters was one of the first people to congratulate us on our Masala Chai chocolate and I’ll always be grateful for such kind words from someone who obviously knows his Puri from his Paneer. And since his recent cookbook is jam-packed full of beautiful Indian memories & recipes, I thought I’d ask The Urban Rajah for his personal memoirs on India’s favourite refreshment……
“Some would call it a routine, I prefer to think of it as a ritual, my Grandfather’s military career instilled in him a sense of daily order. His shoes were buffed and polished and shone like black gold, they sat patiently by his dresser waiting to be addressed, his striped tie lay folded next to his socks. Like many of his generation he was a dapper man and wore formality with ease. He’d start the day with a quick immersion in reading a set of proverbs or poetry before laying out the ingredients for his brew. His beloved chai involved a huddle of green cardamom pods waiting to be cracked in a pestle and mortar, a simmering pot containing enough whole milk for 3 or 4 glasses (enough for my slumbering grandmother). Ceremonially he’d slip in a couple of tea bags and watch them glide in the milk pond like inflatable lilos before weighing them down with a scoop of sugar. Then went in the cardamom pods bobbing around like lifebuoys, followed by crushed cloves, ground fennel, stripped ginger and a skinny cheroot of cinnamon. Gently and slowly the milk turned a gorgeous caramel.
He used the brewing ritual as an opportunity in time to recite his morning’s read “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold” I watched his broad frame moving at a glacial pace as he used a spoon to gently swim the tea bags around the pan never crushing them. When ready he’d pour enough strained masala chai into a tea glass then lift it high enough to pour it dramatically into an empty bystander below, repeating the process several times to aerate the chai, agitate the spices and create bubbles on the surface. No doubt he’d seen the process being performed in the food bazaars across the Indian Subcontinent. For as long as I can remember, whenever I slept at my Grandparents, my Nana-Ji would perform this ritual.
In our accelerated world it reminds me of the importance of rituals, a chance to pause, order, reflect and enjoy a moment in time. Wonderfully choreographed, thoughtfully executed, the ritual of my Grandfather’s masala chai produced not only a delicious blend of tea, but a valuable set of instructions for life….taste takes time to cultivate”.
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