Wednesday

Ek Cutting Chai

I am an Tea Addict. Yes you heard me right...I crave for my cup of tea every morning and evening and sometimes in between. I like the Desi Chai/Indian tea with milk and sugar and ginger and masala..I somehow don't fancy the herbal teas and the English tea's that are taking the world by storm.

I like to have my chai when it rains, when it thunders, when it snows and when its sunny..meaning anytime of the day or night I can have my chai. Mr. Ash cannot have Tea in the evenings, says it keeps the sleep away..Sounds weird I tell you.. If you are like me, I can have my chai and sleep like a baby with no worries of tomorrow or the world. If I were to die and god granted me one wish, I would wish for ek cutting chai...

Cutting chai is a typical Mumbai Language, it means a small cup of chai, where a guy makes tea in shed or a stall and usuallly has few toasts/khari biscuits and probably some brunes to serve alongwith..you can find him outside offices/colleges or anywhere he has place to put up his stall. All doubts of hygiene, the source of milk and water and such things are better kept at home, if you want to enjoy the cutting chai to the fullest.

To understand the concept fully watch this youtube video. Ek cutting chai is for friends sharing warm bonds of friendship, lovers sharing togetherness, hungry folks satisfying the hunger pangs or just about for everyone. 

For my cup of chai at home;

1/2 cup water
1/2 milk
1 tsp grated ginger
2 tspns sugar
1tspn Tea Powder
(If you don't have access to loose tea powder use 1 tea bag-remove the thread and the staple use just the bag with tea powder or use the round tea bags)
1tspn Chai Masala--Optional
Small Tea Sieve to filter the chai

In a small pot take the mik and water together, add the sugar and the grated ginger, tea bag and heat it till it starts boiling. The water/milk mixture will soon change colour to a nice shade of brown/biege. The chai is ready to be filtered in a cup and enjoyed with hot namkeen poori's/chivda or simply as is.

Please do drop by to share a cup of cutting chai with me. Milenge, baithenge baatein karenge.(meaning, we will meet, sit, chat and catch up on our lives over a cup of chai)

Love Ash.


3 comments:

Manasi said...

For the 2 years of MBA , my BFF and I survived on Cutting and vada paav!
We used to get the tea in the canteen in (Diwali) glass... u know those typical glasses which rangoli sellers have? It was the best tea I ever had and like u, i NEED my 2 cups a day!

Unknown said...

hey Manasi;
I did not think, I have those cutting chai cups, but I will remember to take pic in those cups and call it an authentic cutting chai.. Bel it or not I got those cups from ikea...thanks for the idea.love u

Kavi said...

Cutting Chai + Vada Pav on a rainy day in Mumbai is heavenly! :)
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Kavi | Edible Entertainment