Pakistani Chai
Pakistani chai is divided into two types. The regular, more popular one is chai (pronounced "cha" in the Punjab region of Pakistan); Another variety, popular in the Kashmir region of Pakistan, is…
serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup milk (or to taste)
- ⅔–1 cup water
- 2 heaping teaspoons of loose chai tea leaves
- 2 pieces of whole cardamom (optional, but it gives a nice aroma)
Steps
- Bring the water to a simmer in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Tear the cardamom shell (or grind it) and add it to the pan.
- Quickly put the milk in the microwave and heat it for 2 minutes, or until very close to boiling over.
- When the water nearly reaches a boil, slowly add the loose tea. Don't overwhelm the pan.
- Add hot milk to the pan until it reaches a light brown color. It'll get only a shade or two darker when it's done. Raise the heat to the highest setting.
- If you think you added too much milk, take a big spoon or spatula and mix it continuously. Remember: This all goes very fast, so be prepared ahead of time with your utensils.
- Take the saucepan off the heat when the chai is about to boil over and pour it in the cup through the strainer.
- Sweeten with sugar if desired.
Adapted from “Pakistani Chai” in the Wikibooks Cookbook by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Reformatted for this site; this page's recipe text is shared under the same license.