cutting chai recipe, how to make cutting chai

Cutting chai recipe with step by step photos. Cutting chai is a word which every person in Mumbai is well versed with. What is cutting chai? cutting chai is half a portion of chai/tea. Its served in special kind of glasses instead of cups. I have shared the pic of this glass in the pics below.

Chai is nostalgic as during my college days as well as office days, I would go out during the breaks to have some chai with snacks. Earlier with my college friends and then later with office colleagues, we used to visit the chai stall (also called as Tapri) and have chai with some biscuits or khari biscuits. Sometimes we would have vada pav or bhajiya pav with chai. I also used to visit irani restaurants (the irani cafe near andheri station which has closed now and one in fort) and have chai there with bun maska.

Having cutting chai is quite a regular affair in Mumbai. Plus they are not expensive too. You don’t get to see cutting chai being served, anywhere else except on the streets of Mumbai. I was missing cutting chai so made this. Best part of making this tea at home is you could have the full glass instead of half glass 😉

How is cutting chai made?

Tea is brewed with tea leaves, ginger and cardamom powder along with milk. The tea is boiled for a longer time so it becomes a really strong chai and has a dominant flavor of cardamom followed by ginger.

You can club cutting chai with onion pakoda or samosa or masala vada. You could even have sandwiches or veg cutlet or aloo tikki with tea. Bun maska and cutting chai is our favorite. Sometimes I just pair cutting chai with bread-butter. Simple food but amazing.

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cutting chai

4.86 from 7 votes

By Dassana Amit

Mumbai cutting chai recipe with step by step photos.

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Prep Time 2 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 17 mins

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Cuisine Indian

Course: Beverages

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Servings 3 to 4

Units

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups of water or 500 ml water
• ▢ 2 teaspoons assam tea powder or tea leaves
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoon sugar or add as required
• ▢ ¼ to ½ cup milk or add as required
• ▢ 1 inch ginger grated (adrak)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder (choti elaichi powder)

Instructions

prepping

• Peel & grate the ginger and keep aside.
• Crush 2-3 green cardamom in a mortar-pestle and keep aside.

preparing cutting chai

• Heat water in a vessel or pan with a handle or a saucepan.
• Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar.
• Now add the grated ginger. Simmer for 2 to 3 mins on medium flame.
• Then add the crushed cardamom powder. Boil for 1 to 2 mins more.
• Then add 2 teaspoons of assam tea powder.
• Brew the tea on medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes.
• Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk. If you like strong tea then add 1/4 cup of milk if you like more milk then add 1/2 cup of milk.
• Simmer for 2 to 3 mins or until the tea comes to a boil on medium flame.
• Switch off the flame. Strain the tea on a mesh strainer. Pour into glasses or cups.
• Serve cutting chai along some tea time snacks.

Notes

1. You could use store bought cardamom powder instead of home made one.
2. If ginger isn't available then use dry ginger powder. However the flavor and aroma will change.

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Preparation to make cutting chai

1. Keep all the ingredients ready for making the cutting chai. Peel the ginger skin and keep aside. The number of cardamoms in the below pic are only for reference and not the actual amount added in the chai.

2. Crush 2 to 3 green cardamoms in a mortar-pestle.

3. Crush till you get a semi-fine or coarse powder. Alternatively, you can also grind green cardamoms in a small coffee grinder until fine powder is formed. Also grate or crush the ginger and keep aside.

Making cutting chai

4. Heat water in a vessel or pan. When the water becomes hot, then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar.

5. Now add the grated or minced ginger. You can also crush the ginger and add.

6. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium flame.

7. Add the crushed cardamom powder.

8. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes more.

9. Add 2 teaspoons of assam tea powder. The tea used to make chai are in the form of granules and we call them as tea powder.

10. Boil the tea on a medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes. For a more stronger tea, you can boil for some more minutes.

11. Pour ¼ to ½ cup of milk. If you like strong tea then add ¼ cup of milk. If you like more milk then add ½ cup.

12. Continue to simmer the tea for 2 to 3 minutes or until it comes to a boil on a medium flame.

13. Switch off the flame, strain the tea on a mesh strainer. Pour into glasses or cups.

14. Serve the cutting chai along some tea time snacks like nankhatai, pakora or samosa or murukku or sandwich.