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I can make tea

 Yes, I can make tea. Not the la-di-dah English variety or the dipped in tea bag variety, but the thing Indians call as tea. It is what you get by the roadside - sometimes - not the roadside brown kheer that is passed off as chai. But in most places in India (and Nepal), you will get well brewed, with milk, sugar, ginger or cardamom or an assortment of spices that is known as chai masala that is a satisfying brew morning, noon or evening.

It all started with trying to go on a fast. And then, the one coffee that I had in the morning (a small cup, again - the filter coffee that is so dear to us) - if I did not have the coffee, I would get a headache. Tea does no such thing, so we tried to switch to tea. 

And I wanted to get the perfect cuppa chai. 

It started with unconscious incompetence - I had no idea how to make chai. 

And so I tried. And moved to conscious incompetence. All my attempts to make tea will pathetic. Too much water. Too little chai. Too much water. Too much sugar. Where did the milk vanish? Homeopathic chai (that dilute). 

And then over a week, I moved to conscious competence. I got the perfect brew. I had to additionally invest in a ginger grater (grating works better than crushing told an experienced chai maker). And then I had to wait in a restaurant while the guy made tea for us. And I watched the expert get it right. 

So, how do you do it?

Equal measure milk and water. 

First boil water. Grate ginger (be generous). 1 or 2 spoons of tea powder per cup of tea. Add a little chai masala if you like the spice. Boil. Add milk. I also add sugar here, but this can be done later also with no change in taste. 

Bring to boil. Reduce flame. (Repeat 2-3 times). 

Filter and pour. 

And such it has been. Great tea. 

And now to move to unconscious competence. That will be a while methinks. 


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