Masala Tea

Masala Tea in Orpington

Masala Tea, or masala chai, is brewed at Crispy Dosa Orpington the proper way, which means everything goes into the pan together and cooks. It is not steeped, and it is not assembled from a pump of syrup and a jug of steamed milk.

Strong black tea leaves go in with water, crushed fresh ginger, green cardamom and the rest of the spice blend, known as the karha. It comes up to a simmer. Milk and sugar follow, and the whole pan is brought up again until the colour turns a deep russet.

The cooking is what separates real chai from tea with spices dropped into it. Ginger only gives up its warmth under sustained heat. Cardamom only releases its perfume once the milk is hot enough to carry it.

There is a line to respect. Simmered, it is fragrant and rounded. Boiled hard, it turns bitter and the milk catches. It is strained to order and poured hot.

Cardamom and fresh ginger lead the blend, and they are the two non-negotiables of any masala chai worth the name. Cinnamon, clove and black pepper sit behind them, filling out the warmth without taking over.

The result is sweet, milky and properly spiced. The ginger gives heat at the back of the throat rather than on the tongue, and the cardamom carries most of the aroma. It is stronger and far more fragrant than English tea with milk.

It is also meant to be drunk in a small glass rather than a large mug. Chai is rich, and a modest serving of the real thing beats a pint of something weaker.

It works all day. Chai goes best with anything fried, where the spice cuts cleanly through the oil, and it is the natural way to close a heavy thali. On a cold afternoon it is the most-ordered drink on our list.

Chai is also the drink that suits our opening hours. We are pouring it from ten in the morning through to ten at night on weekdays, and from nine at weekends, and it fits every one of those slots.

It is worth knowing it contains caffeine, since it is built on strong black tea rather than herbs. If you want the warmth without the caffeine, our Rose Milk is the drink to ask for instead.

Warm Up with a Freshly Brewed Chai

Order Masala Tea in Orpington at Crispy Dosa Orpington, brewed to order rather than poured from a flask. Have it less sweet, with extra ginger, or brewed stronger, whichever way you take it. It sits perfectly beside a plate of medu vada or a samosa. Call 01689 492201 to book a table, or add it to your online order.

What Goes Into Our Masala Tea

• strong black tea leaves
• fresh ginger, crushed
• green cardamom
• cinnamon
• clove
• black pepper
• milk
• sugar (to taste)