Every day at 4:00 pm, India pauses for tea. Along country roads and in big city streets and alleys, Chai wallahs sell hot Chai in clear, thick-rimmed glasses to travelers, vendors, pedestrians, Tata “Goods Carriage” truck drivers, buffalo cart drivers, and high-tech office workers. At the spiritual center in Amadnagar where Bob and I go, Chai is made with “Tea leaf tips” and is served—occasionally with sweets—from a large, chrome-plated coffee urn at 6:00 am and 4:00 pm in the dining hall.

The afternoon line for tea forms at 3:30. Each tea drinker pours his/her own fragrant, caramel-colored tea into a small, heavy white mug, picks up a silver demitasse spoon and at least three cubes of amber-colored raw sugar, then takes a place at the communal table (hoping that this will be the day for home-made dough nuts), and catches up on the day’s events, slowing stirring their tea. The communal sound of forty silver spoons stirred by forty contemplative tea drinkers soothes a lifetime of woe.
Recently, the center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina began observing this custom. From Thursday through Sunday, tea, made with “Tea leaf tips”, is served in the common kitchen from 3:30pm-4:30pm. Although cow’s milk is used instead of the traditional Indian buffalo milk, the tea tastes every bit as good. Mina, a permanent Myrtle Beach resident, shared her recipe with me. The following recipe serves 4-6 and can be expanded or reduced to fit the occasion.

Masala Chai

Spice Mix: (can also be used as garam masala in curries)
• ¼ cup whole cardamom seeds (not pods)
• ¼ cup whole coriander seeds
• ½ tsp. whole cloves
• 2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
Roast whole spices slowly in a small heavy, bottomed skillet on a burner or in a 350° oven for 5 minutes or until spices begin to brown slightly—don’t let them burn. Grind whole spices to a smooth consistency and store in a spice jar.
Chai:
• 4 cups milk (whole milk tastes best, but oh, the fat)
• 4 cups water
• 6 black teabags
• 2 tsp. spice mixture
Combine water and milk in medium-sized saucepan. Add ground spices and bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add tea bags, steep for 5 minutes. Strain tea and serve.
 

Mumbai Chai Wallah