Recipe to make decadent and flavourful Irani chai at home
The Hindu
Discover the history and traditional preparation of Irani Chai, also known as Hyderabadi Dum Chai, with creamy milk and spices.
Irani chai was first introduced in India by Persians immigrants, who arrived in the mid 1700s. They migrated from Mumbai east to Pune and finally to Hyderabad, which explains why Irani Chai is also known as Hyderabadi Dum Chai. Traditionally this sweet, creamy chai is made by slowly brewing spices and black tea together with a type of milk solid called mawa or khoya, made by simmering full-fat milk for hours until the liquid evaporates and the pale-yellow solids remain. The tea and milk mixtures are prepared separately, and the creamy milk mixture poured on top of the brewed tea. Nowadays many use condensed milk or cream instead of khoya, which simplifies the process.
This recipe by Mira Manek is an excerpt from cookbook ‘Book of Chai’