Hand on heart: How are you treating your guests, especially the unexpected? Well, I often find myself being rather impatiently. I am tossing some crumbs under the kitchen cabinet and hope to be able to devote myself to my own stuff again. In addition, I offer a glass of water – at most. Indeed, we Germans are not known for our overwhelming openness. We like to serve our friends liberally, but please do so with invitation and appointment.
A stranger is a friend, you have not met yet.
It is totally different in India. Spontaneous hospitality is a must there. The life is happening on the streets and as soon as you get closer to a house the owner rushes out of the door and with a toothless, but warm smile, hands you a glass of Chai Masala.
The traditional Indian drink is served to every guest, no matter if in a restaurant, hotel, store or in a private household. It shows: You are welcomed here; what is mine, is yours. The contained spices are supposed to ignite the inner fire, warm you up and make you communicative according to Aryuvedic teaching. This comes in handy, because what do you need more to turn a stranger into a friend?
Do you want to welcome your guests the Indian way? Then try our Original Chai Masala recipe. When filled in the FLSK drinking bottle, the delicious drink stays hot for up to 18 hours. After all, you can never know, when guests will appear at your door!
Ingredients for 1 liter Chai Masala
- 750 ml whole milk or plant milk
- 450 ml water
- 3 tbsp strong black tea (e.g. the sorts Assam, Ceylon)
- 4 tbsp of sugar
- 3 cm ginger root
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 6 cardamom capsules
- 6 cloves
- 3 anis stars
- 6 peppercorns
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
It's that simple:
- Pick out the seeds housed in the cardamom capsules. Coarsely ground them up in a mortar together with the cloves, star anis and the fennel seed.
- Peel the ginger and cut it into slices.
- Take a big pot add milk, water, spices and sugar and bring it to a boil. Give it a good stir frequently so that nothing burns.
- Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Add the tea leaves loose into the pot and bring it to a boil once more.
- Once it is bubbling, reduces the heat to the lowest setting and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Now you can strain all of the masala chai with a mesh strainer and possibly a funnel into the FLSK drinking bottle.