Making "Spicy Tea": Reunion, Masala Chai, & Recipe (INDIA - part 1 of 2)

Rama, our rickshaw driver, approached the tea vendor cheerfully, pulling out a packet of Masala spice powder he had bought seconds ago from the grocery mart across the street. We had been on the lookout for Masala chai since morning and throughout the early afternoon. "If we cannot find spicy chai, we will MAKE it!" was Rama's undeterred response. Nothing is impossible for this slight, elderly man, contrastingly impish in spirit, yet utterly venerated by all rickshaw drivers in the city. After a few pleasantries with the "chai wallah" in the local Tamil language, a separate pot of chai was spiked with the fragrant, coarse-grey powder, specially prepared for our group of four. A few minutes later we were concentrating on sipping the scorching spicy liquid, each of us brimming with peaceful contentment.



Masala chai is an Indian beverage of strong black tea, hot milk, a mixture of spices, and of course a healthy dose of sweetness. The term "masala" refers to any combination of spices, usually used in curries, teas, or dessert, and "chai" is the generic term for tea. Masala chai was birthed out of traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine as an herbal remedy for wellness. Ayurvedic medicine discusses health as the flow of fluids throughout the body and the characteristic heat from the "warm" spices found in masala chai (ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns etc.) are utilized to strengthen the body's internal flow. Today, masala chai continues to be popular in the North but is less common in Southern regions.

Although the summer season was just upon us, and the feverish air plastered sweat to our neck and faces, the Indians seemed to enjoy adding more heat to their bodies in the form of boiling beverages (chai and filter coffee drunk throughout the day) and piping curries fresh off the stove. Periodically, Rama would stop at another chai vendor to request our special order and revive the radiating heat of spice in our chests; each time refusing our rupees. At the end of a packed seven hours, we had been treated to three glasses of chai. In parting, Rama promised to bring back the masala powder for more chai the next afternoon.

RAMA
Two years ago, my sister met Rama on her similar voyage around the world. I recall receiving her excited email about meeting a remarkable man in India who continues to be one of the most interesting people she crossed paths with during her global journey. Before reaching India, I received another email from my sister urging me to contact Rama. Without too much agenda, I warily poked around a cluster of rickshaw drivers (rickshaws are mini, open taxi-buggies run by pushy operators notoriously for indirect routes and constantly changing fares) and asked if anyone knew of Rama. A wrinkled gentleman in a pale pink collared shirt stepped forward and announced "I'm Rama" as if having expected me to appear the entire time. I smiled in wonder at our reunion as I leafed through his sun-stained stack of letters from grateful travelers abroad, including two photos of my sister and a red christmas card in her handwriting.



In the dog-eat-dog world of tourist transportation, Rama's generous and relaxed attitude was a heartwarming anomaly to encounter. He even managed to make chaotic Indian traffic appear tame as we rolled through the sooty streets of Chennai at a leisurely pace. Within minutes of our meeting, Rama adopted my friends and I as his daughters, asking first for our permission before lighting his cigarette and protecting us from greedy salesmen at government-commissioned souvenir emporiums. Before sending us off at the end of the day, he left me with a spare cell phone, complete with a new sim card, to contact him tomorrow.

TEA VENDORS "Chai wallahs"
Franchises and multinationals aside, chai stalls are as common to India as Starbucks are to Manhattan. My first cup of tea in Chennai, however, actually came from a water (tea heater) strapped to the back of a bicycle. Noticing the hesitation in my step, the vendor ushered me forward and proffered a cup, barely a mouthful in a flimsy plastic container. The tea was hot and sweet and surprisingly potent for it's minimal quantity.

The tea found in more permanent stalls throughout the city is prepared in a ceremonious manner. Each cup is "performed" individually, starting with a few good spoonfuls of sugar. Milk, simmering gently in a large metal stockpot is scooped next into the glass cup, two-thirds full. The boiling liquid never manages to bubble over despite the constant exposure to heat. Finally, a linen filter bag packed with black tea leaves is gently bounced in a conical filter mid-air above the cup of milk, allowing the residual liquid of highly condensed tea to runoff and immediately stain the pure milk into a rusty tan. The contents of the cup are dumped into a handled, tin cup and swiftly pulled to a distance above the vendor's head in a thin fountain down to the awaiting glass below. The liquid is drawn back and forth several times until the boiling chai is sufficiently mixed and barely cooled. I managed to drink a lot of chai in India even before meeting Rama. Each time, I was offered a cup of either cheap plastic, hardly meriting the status of polymer, or a stunted paper dixie cup. To my amusement, in the last two days spent in Rama's company I was spared the disposable demitasses and instead offered oversized shot glasses received by locals.

Enjoy chai in any weather and at any time.


RECIPE
Here is my favorite recipe for Masala Chai taught to me by a friend a few years back.

Spicy (Masala) Chai
(serves 1 - multiply the recipe by the number of cups of tea desired)
- 1 mugful of cold water
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger, chopped
- 2-3 pods of green cardamom (available in spice section of most markets
- 1/2 stick cinnamon
- 1 inch piece of lemongrass, chopped (optional)
- 1 black teabag (such as Lipton) or 2-3 tsp loose leaf black tea (Ceylon)
- milk and sugar to taste
*Place all spice ingredients in a plastic ziplock bag; crush with a frying pan or hammer to break apart cardamom pods and release juices from ginger
*Dump into water and set over the stove. Add tea(bag) and bring to a boil, uncovered
*Once boiled, pour in milk and sugar to taste. Return to stove and bring to a second boil (do not let the milk foam over)
*Cover and set aside 10-12 minutes for flavors to strengthen before drinking (or enjoy immediately)