♡doodh cha♡
hi!
I typically post sweet Bengali desserts, however, today's post will be a step-by-step recipe for a commonly consumed sweet drink: doodh cha!
Doodh cha directly translates to milk tea in Bengali (though this is entirely different from the milk tea you order at a boba shop :) This drink is made almost every day in India and many people are unable to function without it. You can think of it as something similar to the coffee addicts in America.
Without further ado, let's get to the recipe!
The ingredients you need to start off with are masala tea bags, whole cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. These are my favorite spices to add to doodh cha, so don't feel intimidated by the number of spices. Some Bengalis like to add a few balls of black pepper for a kick of spice, however, that is completely up to you.
Usually, Bengali recipes do not call for any specific equipment, but I feel that you must use a mortar and pestle to grind your spices. Grinding the spices by hand allows you to properly smash the spices into smaller pieces. You may feel that it is easier to simply use cardamom powder, clove powder, cinnamon powder, or even better: allspice! (please do not do that) as you will not have to go through the process of grinding whole spices and straining them out.
However, it is essential that you use whole spices because they will be a lot fresher and leave a completely different taste on your tongue. This doodh cha would not be the same without crushing your own spices.
Once the spices are crushed, fill a deep pot with water and grate some ginger into it. The amount of ginger you add can vary; personally, I do not prefer a strong ginger flavor in my cha so I add a minimal amount. But if you like having a strong taste of ginger in your tea, feel free to add more. Add the crushed spice mixture to the pot and allow the water to come to a boil. Over time, the spices will begin to release their flavors into the water.
Looking at the title, you must be expecting to add milk to the tea. Now is the time! Pour in some milk and place the masala tea bags inside the water. I like to tie mine together so they stay in one place.
Throughout this post, I have not mentioned any measurements for the ingredients. This is because the amount of ingredients varies depending on a person's preferences. I like having a moderate to strong flavor of masala tea, so I added 3 tea bags. I also like my doodh cha to be pretty milky as the milk makes the drink smooth and creamy. For this, the water and milk should be 50:50. If you prefer a more watery tea, you can do 70:30.
Unfortunately, the milk can not be substituted with plant-based milk. The addition of cow milk makes the tea creamy and has a higher fat content (which reduces as the milk boils). However, if you are looking to avoid the milk, you can find yourself another recipe :)
Allow the tea to boil for about 5-10 minutes. Make sure to keep a close eye on the pot as the tea will definitely spill if you look away for even a second (speaking from experience).
The final step is to add some white sugar to sweeten the doodh cha. I added a couple teaspoons, though you can choose how much sugar you'd like to consume.
I set aside some very fancy tea cups for this recipe post (but make sure to not make the same mistake as me and spill half of the tea on the counter :(
Strain the tea and pour it into cups! Serve hot with some sweet biscuits if you'd like :)
This is a classic drink that every Bengali is obsessed with; they will make this drink at any time of the day!
Enjoy this creamy milk tea and share it with your friends!
until next time...
