Drinks

Chai is something that most of us Pakistani folks love with our very souls. It is our national beverage – we can have chai literally all the time.

From chai first thing in the morning, to a strong brew for curing a headache – there’s a cup of chai for nearly every facet of Pakistani life, be it a mundane part of daily life, a glittering social event, a sad occasion or a happy instance.

There’s a popular quote about coffee that I’ve seen on Instagram and Facebook which says “Coffee Doesn’t Ask Silly Questions. Coffee Understands.”

Replace coffee with chai in that quote and you’ll get an idea of how most Pakistanis feel about tea. And by tea I mean traditional South Asian style Pakistani chai – medium to strong in strength, with milk and with or without sugar.

And because it is the country’s 70th Independence Day today, I am sharing a chai recipe that I am extremely fond of – Karrak Masala Chai!

A combination of two of my favourite types of chai, Masala Chai and Karrak Chai, the strong aromatic fragrance that engulfs the entire kitchen as this chai brews is nothing short of amazing!

My earliest memories of drinking chai are of summer vacations in Lahore while I was growing up. We would travel from Daharki to stay with my paternal grandmother in Lahore most summers when school would be off from June to August.

Both of my Dad’s brothers were in Lahore as were members of his considerably large family consisting of his aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews so staying in Lahore also brought with it plenty of happy socialising with his loving and lively relatives.

June was mostly dry and hot and then July would bring with it monsoon rains and some much needed respite from the heat.

Neither my brother nor I really drank tea until we’d finished high school and started college, but these rainy days during our Lahore holidays would be the exception for me and the only times I would have chai.

The family room of my paternal grandparents’ house has doors that open onto an airy balcony from where foliage in the form of trees and some of old Lahore’s original red brick buildings are visible.

I would sit in one of my Grandmother’s easy chairs (which we still have) right in one of those doorways, sip on a cup of sweet milky chai and watch the summer rain bathe and hydrate the potted plants in the balcony to a vibrant green.

I can still smell the blissful fragrance of wet soil as it rained, the sweet earthy aroma of rainfall that is peculiar to that particular house in New Anarkali.

Certain fond memories of childhood can make one ramble on and on at times just like I seem to be doing right now!

So let’s get back to the present in general and to Karrak Masala Chai in particular.

The first time I came to know of masala chai was sometime back in the ’90s when my maternal grandmother brought back, along with the mandatory chocolate and cheeses, a packet of Indian chai masala from a trip to the US.

And there I go again, delving back into the past, haha!

That chai masala was lovely and I found the idea of masala chai so fascinating that I even made an exception to my “I-only-have-chai-when-it-rains-in-Lahore-during-summer-vacation” rule just so I could have masala chai.

Obviously it was too strong for my kiddie tastebuds so fast forward to the present and this Karrak Masala Chai is one of my most enjoyable ways to indulge in strong, fragrant milky chai.

I’m happy to see proper chai make a comeback on many of our local restaurant and cafe menus.

It is heartening to see a lot of dhaaba style eateries and desi truck stop style tea shops spring up all over the major cities in the country lately.

Many of these places offer a quite a decent variety of chai – everything from teabag style mildish tea to strong doodh patti.

After decades of a plethora of coffee shops and the ubiquitous cafe culture, we are reclaiming the chai, the chai khaana and the chai wala in all their desi glory.

This recipe makes, as its name suggests, a strong Karrak Masala Chai because that is how I like it. Which is why in the recipe I’ve specified when to reduce certain ingredients if one requires a milder chai.

If you’re making this for the first time I would recommend erring on the side of caution and trying the milder version of Karrak Masala Chai.

Adding a bit of evaporated milk gives the chai a welcome richness which I feel is necessary to balance out the strong masala. You can replace it with regular milk if wished.

Ginger powder can be replaced with a 1/4 inch piece of sliced fresh ginger. I have not tried Karrak Masala Chai with fresh ginger. I believe dry ginger powder gives a deep warmth while fresh ginger provides a zingier sprightliness. So choose the kind of flavour profile that appeals more.

My Karrak Masala Chai has been adapted from this lovely recipe.

Here’s wishing Pakistan and all Pakistanis everywhere a very happy 70th Independence Day – let’s drink chai and be merry!

Karrak Masala Chai

 

Recipe Type: Drinks    Author: Alice In Eatland

Prep Time: 5 Minutes    Cook Time: 5 Minutes    Total Time: 10 Minutes

Serves: 2

 

Strong, milky and fragrant with aromatic spices, Karrak Masala Chai is just what you need when nothing but a deliciously satisfying cup of tea will do!

 

INGREDIENTS FOR CHAI MASALA

• 1/2 inch stick cinnamon
• 4 whole black peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves
• 4 whole green cardamoms
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger powder

 

METHOD

1. Place all the spices in a pestle and mortar and pound until coarsely ground.
2. Or put all the spices into a small coffee grinder and grind to a coarse powder.

 

INGREDIENTS FOR KARRAK MASALA CHAI

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons evaporated milk (or regular milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons loose black tea leaves or granules (any Pakistani, Indian or Sri Lankan brand)
• Chai Masala (recipe above)

 

METHOD

1. Bring water to the boil, add 1/2 the chai masala for mild tea or all of it for stronger tasting tea.
2. Let boil 1 minute.
3. Add 1 teaspoon loose tea leaves or granules and sugar and boil 1 minute.
4. Pour in milk and evaporated milk (or regular milk). Increase heat and bring to the boil. When it reaches the boil, reduce heat and boil gently for 1 – 2 minutes.
5. If you have used evaporated milk, add 1 teaspoon tea leaves or granules. In case you have used regular milk instead of evaporated milk, add just 1/2 a teaspoon of the tea leaves or granules. Boil 1 minute.
6. Strain chai into teacups and serve immediately with extra sugar for those who want a sweeter chai.

 

How gorgeous is the Paloma! Visually stunning and a treat for the taste buds, I like to think of this lovely drink as the perfect salmon pink sunset on a tropical beach and as an ode to the incomparable Paloma Picasso! Without doubt one of my favorite summer mocktails, the Paloma is sensational in taste and a guaranteed crowd pleaser when entertaining.

My earliest memory of something like a “cocktail” or technically a mocktail, goes way back to the 80s.

I was born in Karachi and my family and I moved to Daharki in 1987. The Exxon Chemical Pakistan Limited (now known as Engro Chemical Pakistan Limited) community in Daharki, which we became a part of, was a like a small family and it had the most amazing culture that involved a lot of activities to keep the residents of Exxon’s small and stunningly pretty colony engaged and occupied.

I have had the good fortune of having been exposed to the best baking I’ve known anywhere right in the middle of a tiny colony in a quaint little town in interior Sindh. The fine desserts, chic cakes and assorted fancy bakes that the larger cities of the country have begun to have access to for the last decade or so, the Exxon community ladies were making these and more back in the 80s – probably since the 70s actually. Like me, most of the girls who grew up in Exxon Daharki learnt to bake years before they learnt to cook.

 

 

Cooking and baking classes were a regular feature for the Exxon ladies. I remember the cooking class leaflets (they were called “notices” back in Daharki) that would be delivered to each house a few days in advance, printed with details about the latest upcoming cooking class, plus which recipes would be taught and by whom with the time and venue of the class mentioned. Since the classes were for the community ladies only, kids like me would wait in anticipation for their Moms to return from cooking class with a printout of the recipe and an account of how good it tasted. Good times!

At one of the cooking classes a recipe for a fruit punch was demonstrated. This was a refreshing mix of different flavored fruit squashes and a fizzy drink, usually Sprite, topped with tiny bits of fresh fruit. It quickly became a popular party drink and for many of us, it was the first introduction to something mocktail-like. I used to love it – still do! Now that I think about it, it was like a delicious cross between a punch, a fruit spritzer and a non-alcoholic Sangria. I will share that fruit punch recipe soon along with other timeless recipes from Exxon Daharki’s legendary baking diaries but for now let’s get back to the Paloma.

 

 

The word “paloma” means ‘dove’ in Spanish and contrary to popular belief, the Paloma and not the Margarita, is said to be Mexico’s most popular cocktail. The basic way of preparing the Paloma is to mix silver tequila with grapefruit soda or fresh grapefruit juice. Club soda or soda water is also added to some versions. Believe me when I tell you that my refreshingly zingy alcohol-free version will have you swooning!

Going through the produce section at HKB the other day I came across a gorgeous pile of ruby grapefruit. I knew right away what I was going to make with those beauties – yes, the Paloma.

 

 

You can obviously use regular grapefruit to make the Paloma but ruby grapefruit will give you a beautifully rosy drink, perfect for when you’re having your girl friends over for a mocktails-and-canapes-meets-gossip session or at any occasion really – this makes a really awesome “welcome drink” when hosting formal parties, lunches or dinners.

So give the Paloma a try; I know you will adore it!

 

 

The Paloma

Recipe Type: Drinks    Author: Alice In Eatland

Prep Time: 2 Minutes    Cook Time: 5 Minutes    Total Time: 7 Minutes    Serves 1

 

Pretty peach-pink & refreshingly zingy, the Paloma is perfect for a girly get together or for whenever you’re looking for a deliciously impressive mocktail!

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
• 1/2 cup sparkling soda water / club soda
• 1/2 – 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Good pinch of salt
• Quartered lemon
• Coarse salt
• Grapefruit slice, quartered

1.  To make the simple syrup, put sugar and water in a small pan and swirl over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature and chill.
2. Rub the rim of the serving glass with the quartered lemon. Put the coarse salt in a small plate or bowl and dip the lemoned rim of the glass in the salt.
3. Make a cut on the quartered grapefruit slice and fix it on the rim of the glass.
4. Add fresh grapefruit juice to mixing glass, pour in soda water / club soda, 2-4 teaspoons of chilled syrup, lemon juice and pinch of salt.
5. Stir and taste to see if it needs more syrup or lemon juice depending on how sour the grapefruit juice is and how sweet you like your mocktail.
6. Pour into serving glass.
7. Keep any leftover simple syrup tightly bottled in the fridge for up to 1 month.