Irani Chai Recipe – How to make Hyderabadi Dum Tea
Hey Foodies, Irani Café Culture in India, be it Mumbai, Hyderabad or Pune, has changed over the past decades, but if you are a kid born in the 90’s or earlier, then you must have grown up hearing about the famous Irani Café and their signature Irani Chai. Mind you it’s not any Chai; it’s a slow cooked tea which is simmered for forty minutes. The deep flavor of the tea and the creaminess of the milk will make you wanting for more. Try our recipe and I assure you, it’s worth the wait and you won’t be disappointed.
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Irani Chai Recipe – How to make Hyderabadi Dum Tea
Hey Foodies, Irani Café Culture in India, be it Mumbai, Hyderabad or Pune, has changed over the past decades, but if you are a kid born in the 90’s or earlier, then you must have grown up hearing about the famous Irani Café and their signature Irani Chai. Mind you it’s not any Chai; it’s a slow cooked tea which is simmered for forty minutes. The deep flavor of the tea and the creaminess of the milk will make you wanting for more. Try our recipe and I assure you, it’s worth the wait and you won’t be disappointed.
INGREDIENTS:
For the Tea
- Water - 1.5 litre or 6 cups
- Tea Leaves - 6 tbsp mix of small or big tea leaves
- Sugar - 6 tbsp or jaggery
For the Milk
- Full Fat Milk - 2 1/2 cup or 600ml
- Condensed Milk - 4 tbsp or 25 - 30gms Mava
- Green Cardamom - 2-3 pods
RECIPE STEPS:
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Prepare soft dough with flour and water, and set aside.
For the tea
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Place a heavy bottom pot over medium heat and pour water.
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Add the tea leaves, followed by the sugar or jaggery.
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Cover the utensil with a tight lid and place heavy weight on top of the lid. Allow it to simmer for about 40 minutes. This long duration will give us a good tea decoction.
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If you do not have a tight fitting lid, then seal the lid with the log shape rolled dough. Place the dough around the utensil edges, cover with the lid; place a heavy weight on top of the lid.
For the milk
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While the tea is simmering, take a small pan and pour the milk. Add the cardamom pods followed by the condensed milk or mava.
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Stir well and cook the milk for 10-15 minutes over medium heat. Stir the milk in intervals to avoid it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
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Bring the milk to a boil. The consistency of the milk should be thick, rich and creamy, remove from the flame and set aside.
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After 40 minutes, open the tea pot lid; from the opposite side, using a knife to crack the dough. This step is to ensure you do not burn yourself with the steam.
For Assembling
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Using a ladle and a strainer, pour the tea to about ¼ of the tea cup. Add the milk to the tea.
For serving
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Serve the Irani Chai with some delicious Osmania biscuits or hot Samosas.
RECIPE NOTES :
Notes: Making dough this is only incase if you do not have a tight fitting lid. If you see the steam escaping from the tea pot, then shift the heavy weight in that area or seal that area with some more dough, this will ensure that no steam escapes. You can use a mix of small and long tea leaves for a more fragrant and rich tea. You can use jaggery instead of sugar. Just adjust it as per taste. Use Full fat milk, for a thicker and creamier milk. You can use condensed milk or replace it with mava for much richer milk.