Chai…the Indian name for ‘Tea’ is loved and savoured by millions across the globe. In every chowrasta (cross road) you can find a tea stall in India. On my tea trail today let’s head to city of thousand things….. Pearls, Nizam’s, Biryani, Forts, Hi-tech buildings and much more…….’Hyderabad’. Crossing over the busy lines of Charminar, you will find a tea stall in every corner of the road. Some tea stalls here in the city have become historical part of the city.
As Mumbai’s Cutting Chai, Hyderabadi ‘Dum ki Chai’ is very popular and much loved drink at any part of the day. You can always see people hanging around a tea stall at any point of the day or even at night irrespective of season. Chai is not only enjoyed during winters or a rain…a hot cup of chai is equally enjoyed on any summer day. You can see chaiwala (the one who makes tea in a tea stall) preparing hot cups of tea from time to time. The aroma which spreads in the air when the tea is brewing is so engrossing.
Every chaiwala has got his very unique style of making tea or presenting tea or serving tea. In most of the road side tea stalls you can see, tea is served in glasses (the one you can see in the post). A perfect ‘dum ki chai’ is mostly served with ‘Osmani biscuit’ or sweet bun….and let me tell you nothing can beat the combination of this. To most of the men who leave early for work, this is their breakfast too.
‘Dum ki Chai’…..The word ‘Dum’ here means brewing the tea on very low flame by covering it with a lid to lock the aroma of tea. Dum ki Chai is prepared by combining tea decoction and milk. The tea decoction is made flavoursome by adding green cardamom and ginger. The milk is reduced and thickened by adding khoya/mawa. The chai is generally very thick and sweet. The aroma is mesmerizing and taste is lasting.
Hyderabadi ‘Dum ki Chai’
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cups of Water
- 1½ tbsp. Tea powder, I used Assam 1860
- 3 tbsp. Sugar
- 3 tbsp. Khoya
- 4 cups Milk
- 3 Green Cardamoms
- 1 tbsp. chopped Ginger
PREPARATION:
- In a sauce pan bring water to boil by adding crushed green cardamom and chopped ginger. Boil till water is reduced to half of its consistency.
- Now add tea powder and sugar cover with a lid and simmer the flame. Leave this to boil for another 8-10 minutes or until the consistency is reduced to half.
- In the meantime, take another saucepan and bring milk to boil. When the milk starts to boil simmer the flame and leave it to reduce by 2/3 rd of its consistency. Stir in khoya and keep stirring until khoya gets completely mixed in the milk. Simmer until this mixture is reduced to light creamy consistency in between.
- Pour in tea decoction and above thickened milk mixture in 1:4 ratios in serving glasses and serve hot.
- Add love to make this special chai taste ‘Yummy’.
NOTE:
You can substitute khoya with milkmaid. If you are using milkmaid then skip adding sugar.
jeyashri suresh says
Completely new to me. Would live to taste this one day
jeyashri suresh says
Would love to taste this one day. Totally new to me.
Nusrath Jahan says
Super chai and clicks too!!!first click can see the steam .My favourite hyderabad I biscuits too are in the plate.
beena stephen says
Wow super tempting tea and snacks
Rafeeda AR says
I have heard so much about the chai from Hyderabad, how amazing it tastes and here u share the recipe. So the secret is khoya, is it? 🙂 I love how strong and milky it looks, just like the way I love it… so in case I land up in Chennai sometime, make me a huge mug of tea, OK? 😉
Famidha Ashraf says
Wow! never knew this tea is made this way.. have heard so much about Dum ki chai.. Reading through the ingredients.. it is pretty much the same things that go into my chai except for the khoya or milkmaid.. so the secret is slow cooking! Thank you for sharing the recipe and as always stunning capture..
Mindlan Pvt Ltd says
I was at Hyderabad for 3 years and tea and biscuits was my favorite breakfast!!!
Priya Joshi says
This tea recipe is new to me … You add khoya here….my goodness
Amber says
Addition of khoya in chai is new to me. Seems it has an exciting taste.
irani chai powder online says
This blog is so nice. You have given good information about irani chai. Keep going on and thank you for this blog