“Ek kadak chai ki chuski ke bina subah subah jaisi lagti hi nahi hai”- this is what my mom says almost every morning while enjoying her cup of chai. A chai aficionado like her can make even the simplest of teas seem most interesting and aromatic. It is due to her obsession with chai that every morning at my home begins with the aroma of tea hitting your nostrils to force you out of the bed and relish a cup of chai right away.
This habit of having chai saw a big change last year when my entire family decided to go for healthier alternatives. We decided to quit sugar and refined flour and follow a healthy lifestyle. And that’s when my mom came up with the idea of replacing regular chai with kaali chai or black tea with jaggery or honey in it. Although the tea seems quite simple, it surely comes up with numerous minute details to be kept in mind for a perfect cup. If you are an aficionado like me, here are some tips you need to keep in mind while making black tea.
1. One of the most common mistakes that we commit while making black tea is adding sugar to it after the tea is made. However, the sugar doesn’t dissolve properly that way and we come across sugar granules while enjoying a perfect cup of black tea. So, to prevent the sugar granules from spoiling the fun, add them while boiling the water instead of adding them at the end.
2. It's better to use tea leaves instead of tea dust while making black tea as the leaves have a better flavour as compared to tea dust.
3. The best way to let the flavour of tea infuse in the water is to cover the lid for about 3-4 minutes on low flame.
4. You can also add more flavours and aroma by adding more flavouring ingredients to it like pounded ginger, cardamom pods and bay leaf.
Do keep these tricks in mind while making black tea at home and let us know how the ‘kadak chai ki chuski’ got you.