Flavours of Hyderabad : the magic of Irani chai

Flavours of Hyderabad : the magic of Irani chai

           Mention the name of Hyderabad and its food history;  everyone immediately thinks of Biryani and Irani chai ! A city of Qutub Shahi and Asaf Jahi history - Nawabi culture along with a very special dialect, general vibe and composite culture which separates it from many cities of India. This write-up traces the history of the very special Irani chai along its recipe, not forgetting its accompaniments which creates the whole experience of tea drinking and the ''chai-pe-charcha'' meaning conversation over tea, which happens anyway. Brought to Hyderabad by Zoroastrian Irani immigrants to British india; it got  absorbed into Hyderabadi culture. It is sold at Irani Cafes which they  started and also other hotels, restaurants and traditional homes. The colour is a very special brown and the taste sweet and of this thick brew. Very different from the ordinary chai cuppa !

                                                          Irani chai, image.



Recipe of Irani Chai

Ingredients – Tea leaves, mawa or Khoya, pure milk.

Preparation - Add tea leaves to water and boil till it becomes a decoction. In a separate vessel pure milk is to be boiled on low flame for hours and later to which chunks of mawa is whisked in and cooked to make the milk even tastier and thicker. The Irani chai is finally made by mixing this thickened mix to the decoction. Powdered cinnamon or green cardamon can be added for flavouring and sugar can be added fior sweetening the chai.

Osmania Biscuits, accompaniment, image.

References :

• wikipedia.org
• Oral history sources
• Images are from Wikimedia Commons

Posted by :

Soma Ghosh

Ⓒauthor