While in India, we love to drink tea at almost any time of the day, the English culture is also a tea-drinking one. Their idea of tea involves a time of the day when you can sit and chat with each other. Drawing from the concept of the royalty of having afternoon tea gatherings, we have similar styles of tea-drinking ceremonies coming up. There is also something called high tea these days which has much more than a cup of chai and biscuits. What made us even more inquisitive was a drool-worthy spread of afternoon tea that we chanced upon.
Sriti Jha is an Indian television actress who has featured in popular daily soaps and Indian dramas. Apart from her commendable acting skills, the Kumkum Bhagya actress also loves expressing herself through the verses of her poetry. Currently, the actress is at a book lovers’ retreat and seems like she is having quite a good time there. Along with new thoughts and ideas brimming at this retreat, we also see some tea brewing at the corner. She took to her Instagram stories to share glimpses of her “afternoon tea” at the retreat. Take a look.
From finger sandwiches to macarons, tea cakes and short-crust pies, the spread looks absolutely delicious. With a glass of juice on one end and some books on the other, we still wonder where’s the tea at? However, till that arrives, how about you prepare some snacks for today’s afternoon tea too. Here are some recipes you can try.
1. Paneer Pakora
A quintessential monsoon snack, pakora is a deep-fried Indian fritter that is dipped in a batter before frying. For your tea, you can pair the cup with crispy paneer pakoras. Cubes of cottage cheese are seasoned with red chilli powder and salt and dunked in gram flour batter to be fried. Serve it with tomato ketchup.
2. Masala Mathri
A great alternative to sugary biscuits, this mathri is another deep-fried delight for tea. Crunchy and crispy, the mathri is a circular snack that is made from a dough of all-purpose flour, gram flour and spice blends.
3. Dhokla
Hailing from the Gujarati fare, dhokla is a treat to the taste buds. The soft and melt-in-your-mouth texture of dhokla makes it appetizing. The tangy and sweet flavours come out really well when paired with a pickled green chilli.
4. Potato Cutlets
Easy to eat and make, potato cutlets are flattened mixtures of mashed potatoes that are shallow-fried in a pan. These are served with coriander chutney and tomato ketchup.