TEA

 

In my science textbook , there was this lesson about consuming beverages and drinks. In that chapter this sentence called my attention: "Tea only after 20". As a kid, I would tell this to my parents and brothers. Somehow even after age 20, I never transitioned from drinking a cup of milk to drinking a cup of tea. I still drink milk.

My husband, too, never drank tea. But one fine day he announced that he wants to sip half a cup of tea in the morning to get his day started. So I had to learn to make tea and appreciate it at the age of 40.

INGREDIENTS: for 1/2 cup of tea

1. 3 Tbsp. whole milk
2. 1/2 cup water
3. 1-1/4  tsp of sugar(depending on taste and sweetness of the sugar)
4. 1-1/2 tsp tea leaves(I have used red label  ,loose tea leaves)(half the amount if using tea powder)
5. a hint of salt( just 7-14 grains of salt)

METHOD

• Pour the milk and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Let it boil vigorously and rise up. 
  

• In the meantime, in a steel mug, put the sugar and salt.
• Place a sieve on top of the mug, to sieve the boiled tea.
  
  
  
  
  

• When the milk starts to boil, add the tea leaves. Simmer boil and let the tea leaves steep, just for 30 seconds (not more than that). Keep watch and see that the milk does not overflow. 
  
  
  
  

• Sieve the tea through the strainer.  Stir the tea with a spoon. Pour into a cup, to and fro a couple of times, until frothy.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Use a spoon, to sip a little bit of the tea for tasting. 
• Serve hot.
  

NOTES

• Let the milk boil vigorously and rise up before adding the tea leaves/powder or else the tea will taste bitter and sometimes the raw taste of the tea leaves will seep in. 
• To make black tea, use 1/2 tsp of tea powder, basically half the amount of tea that you would use to make milk tea. Rest of the ingredients remain the same. 
• The same recipe can be used for making coffee. Just add 1-3/4 tsp instant coffee powder, salt and 1-1/2 tsp sugar to the milk after boiling. Adjust the coffee powder sugar depending on the level of roast of the coffee beans and the sugar as per taste.
• Just a hint of salt is required. This accentuates the flavors. Its completely optional. When you taste check, if you taste the sweetness, yet it doesn't come up in the first sip, add the tiniest amount of salt. The saltiness should not come up in the tea.
• The boiled tea leaves can be reused a second time, within 2 hours. You might have to add more tea leaves along with the used leaves, while the milk is boiling.
• Adding too much tea leaves gives a bitter taste to the tea.
• Tea is the first thing my mother makes in the morning, so she keeps the boiling pot and the steel mug, ready, on the countertop, the night before, to make tea in the morning.