Chai

Ingredients (per cup) .1/2 cup water .1 1/2 teaspoon sugar .3/4 teaspoon dried tea leaves - to be traditional, a strong Indian tea such as an Assam is best. .Pinch of masala mixture .1/2 cup milk Procedure: 1. Boil water and milk. 2. Add sugar, tea leaves and masala until the mixture becomes dark (about 5-10 minutes). 3. The longer you boil, the stronger the chai 4. Strain into teacups to serve.

Options .Let the remaining solids cool and sprinkle them on your plants for an excellent fertiliser. .Tea masala or garam masala from a store can be used to get around the masala mixture process; however pre ground spices lose their flavour over time. .In step one, boil the water and milk separately, and in step two add the tea leaves and masala to the boiling water, boiling until the tea is as strong as you like. Only then add the milk to the mix. This can speed up the process without affecting the flavor. This method is often used by restaurants to serve chai in large quantities quickly as orders are taken.

.Optionally turn off the heat in the end, cover and let sit for about five minutes for a richer flavour. .Try adjusting the ratio of milk to water. For a richer milky tea, try two parts milk to one part water. .Leave out the sugar for a more adult flavor. Sugar can be added while drinking if so desired

Kashmiri Chai
Powdered almonds make this chai a little bit nutty, and you can really taste the cinnamon and cardamom as well. If you don't have real saffron (it's very expensive) you can always leave that out. Ingredients: .1 tablespoon loose green tea .4 cardamom pods, bruised .1 small cinnamon stick, broken up .Saffron threads, a pinch .4 cups water .2 tablespoons finely powdered almonds .Honey, to taste Preparation: Mix everything except honey and almonds in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let tea steep for 5 minutes. Put a teaspoon of almonds in the bottom of each cup, and pour hot tea over. Sweeten with honey to taste.

Masala Chai
Masala mixture 100 grams powdered ginger 25 grams cloves 100 grams whole black peppercorns 60 grams cinnamon, broken small, or 40 grams ground 1/2 nutmeg, crushed 35 grams green cardamom pod Procedure Combine all of the spices and blend well in an electric grinder. You only need a small quantity for each cup of chai; store the rest for later. A full recipe will keep you stocked full of chai for months.

Sabudana Pakoda
Ingredients: 1. 1 cup soaked sabudana (Tapioca Pearls) 2. 1 cup besan (gram flour) 3. 2 tsps rice flour (for crispness) 4. cup onion (chopped) 5. cup mint leaves 6. cup coriander leaves 7. 1 tsp chilli powder 8. Pinch of asafoetida 9. tsp cumin seeds 10. Salt to taste. 11. Oil for frying Recipe Preparation: 1. In a bowl mix all the above ingredients (except oil) with water and make it into a thick batter. 2. Fry a teaspoon of batter in oil on simmer until golden brown. Tasty sabudana pakoda is ready.

Enjoy the tasty pakoda with kadak masala chai and a Pudina Chatni

Dargeeling Tea
Darjeeling Tea is considered as the rich man's tea. But it is a beverage that should be tasted by one and all every once in a while. It refreshes with a cool feeling typical of the Himalayas of its origin. How to make Darjeeling Tea? The steps are: 1. Boil 1 cup of water per cup of Darjeeling tea desired. 2. Measure one small table spoon of Darjeeling tea for each cup. 3. As soon as the water starts boiling, turn off the heat (gas flame) and drop the tealeaves into the boiling water. 4. Let it brew for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir and strain the brew.

Your CUP FROM THE HIMALAYAS is ready TO REFRESH YOU.

Green Tea
Green Tea is considered as the modern "SANJEEVANI" as more and more researches suggest its innumerable benefits like to check cholesterol and blood sugar level. But most of us may not know how to make Green Tea. The steps are: 1. Boil 1 cup of water per cup of green tea desired. 2. Measure one small table spoon of green tea for each cup. 3. As soon as the water starts boiling, turn off the heat(gas flame) and drop the tealeaves into the boiling water. 4. Let it brew for 2 to 3 mins.. Stir and strain the brew.

Your CUPPA OF HEALTH is ready.

Iced Tea
Ingredients 1 cup water 1 tsp tea powder 5 tsp sugar 1 lemon's juice 10-15 ice cubes Method: Make black tea as usual with 5 tsp sugar Take the tall glass and fill it more than 1/2 with ice cubes Cool the black tea till only a bit warm Pour the lemon juice over the ice cubes and also the black tea Garnish with whole pudina leaves(1-2) and a lemon slice Note: the tea powder, sugar, lime , etc can be taken in qts as per your taste