Category: chai

Delhi’s hidden gem: Aap ki Pasand tea boutique by San-cha

Old Delhi’s mystical charm draws Skeeter to the kuchas and gallis of this part, time and again. This time around, it was in order to dig another gem. A different one from the chaat, kheer or the bedmi puri kinds. Skeeter’s been visiting Aap ki Pasand tea boutique by San-cha since a few years. When Splenda invited Skeeter for a ‘harmless sweet’ afternoon to her favourite tea shop, she found yet another reason to visit her favourite part of Old Delhi. It is chaotic, it is dirty, but it all emanates from the mind. Once you look beyond such things which usually keep the well-heeled folk from visiting these areas, you discover the underlying charm, which needless to say is quite underrated. We prefer malls over culture. Meh.
A group of eight food and drink enthusiasts gathered to learn a thing or two about tea from the very experienced tea taster Mr Sanjay Kapur who also happens to be the owner of the shop. Skeeter’s been meaning to hear him talk “tea” since a long, long time. And sometimes you get things you ask for without having to bat an eyelid like Skeeter did. Mr Kapur touched upon a few important points which the emerging category of health conscious Indians are curious to know. The average person may however go about drinking his cuppa without having to care much. Skeeter is enlisting a few points touched upon by Mr Kapur for those who’d like to dwelve deeper.

Tea and Caffeine

250mg of Caffeine is the limit beyond which the American Psychiatric Association (APA) draws a line.

How much tea is enough or good?

It can be concluded that the regular intake of five or more cups of tea per day facilitates healthy ageing – Dr H. Weisburger. Institute of Cancer Prevention, American Health Foundation.

The average tea cup

The average tea cup contains 25mg Caffeine. The average cup measures 150 ml approx. The average tea bag contains 2mg of tea.

The black tea or green tea debate

There is no real evidence that signifies green tea to be better than black. In fact, Sancha’s First Flush Darjeeling Black Tea selection which Mr Kapur describes as world’s finest Darjeeling cuppa is very high in anti oxidants. It turns out that the PM took this tea as the Indian State’s Gift to the Emperor of Japan early this year.

We tasted the Masala tea, the ginger tea and the First Flush Darjeeling Black Tea by Sancha. Skeeter quite liked the ginger tea without any added sugar or sweetener. And she is certainly going back for more.

More about Aap Ki Pasand
Locations:
Darya Ganj
Santushti shopping complex
Gurgaon (coming up very soon)

Tasting
Go to the tea boutique and taste your cuppa free of cost and pick what you like.

Recommendations
Besides the First Flush Darjeeling Black Tea, Skeeter recommends the ginger tea and the Jasmine tea pearls (a botanical blend).
Besides, there are several other blends that come packed beautifully, with a very Indian feel to them. They make for a great gift for the festive season or if you are travelling abroad and want to gift a something “very Indian” to your friends and relatives. Take your pick.

The twain meet

As a child Skeeter heard about wine and cheese pairings, also, about wine and continental food pairings. A crisp rosé or lighter varieties of Pinot Noir with white fish (yes this is still a vegetarian blog) or crabmeat, oyesters et al have always been on the wine connoisseurs description of heaven on earth and so forth. A few moons ago, there was much debate on Indian food being paired with wine. Great stories were penned around the Indian food and wine combo.
All this while Skeety thought, dadi (grandmom) always said khaane naal paani ni peen da(with your food don’t take water). Wonder where that came from or where it went. Times are certainly changing, and how!
Skeeter attended a food and tea pairing event at The Park hosted by Ty-phoo tea. TV show host and chef/owner at Aurus, Vicky Ratnani, led the show. Vicky has given an edge to vegetarian food in India through his food show Vicky goes Veg where he shows how much vegetarian variety can one enjoy with the relatively new vegetables (think Zucchini, Red/Yellow/Orange peppers, Broccoli) that are being sold by the neighbourhood vendor these days. Also, how the traditional ingredients can be adapted to new world recipes.

At the Ty-phoo event, Vicky went one step further by demonstrating, how to cook with tea and how to pair food with tea.
Traditionally, in North Indian cuisine, we steep a black teabag with chole (chickpeas) to give them the blackish/brownish tinge. Also, we often pair chai and samosa. This is perhaps the oldest tea and food pairing Skeety can think of. An often heard 4 o clock anectode is…’chai aur samose ho jaayein'(let us have tea with samosas). Whether you are spending an afternoon at work, at home or with 4pm guests, this is one hit pair.
With the new variety of teas hitting the supermarket shelves teatime is only becoming more and more enjoyable. So, sit back and infuse your foods with tea or sip it along with your food (yes there are health benefits and jazz).
For some ‘out-of-the-pot’ pairings, Vicky served well-assembled Harissa spiced grilled veggies, mint and rocket leaf cous cous, chickpea puree with Moroccan Mint tea. Peppered cottage cheese (infused with a Ty-phoo Masala tea bag) was served with a side of masala mashed pot and pickled cucumber ribbons.

Skeety particularly loves and recommends an orange infusion with a cinnamon stick for a tangy, robust flavour. Drink it as is or pair with your favourite food. Better still, steep it, chill it and add a dash of gin or vodka. Other infusions available are Black Currant and Lemon & Lime Zest.

If any of the readers would like to try making the above mentioned dishes by Vicky Ratnani, drop me a mail at reeta.skeeter@yahoo.com

The Chaiwali loves her Cardamom Spice


Recently mom fulfilled the deepest desire of Skeeter’s heart…Ever since Skeeter has started making tea, she wanted to use the pestel to crush cardamoms by placing them on the black granite shelf of the kitchen. But mom insisted Skeeter uses the mortar and the pestel to crush them.
Skeeter has seen people just tearing away the upper covering (green bit) of the cardamom spice and throwing it into the boiling tea. That, Skeeter thinks, is JUST NOT DONE!!! It is just so unfair to the cardamom – the most aromatic spice. Skeeter humbly requests all tea lovers to crush the cardamom spice and release the aroma trapped in the seeds to unleash the mystic flavour that lies within. Not only will it make your tea taste much more flavourful, it would also do justice to the spice.
The mortar and the pestel have a different story altogether. They are Skeeter’s most loved tools in the kitchen. No modern day pepper-crushers beat the traditional mortar and pestel. Even chefs like Kylie Kwong swear by them. Skeeter just loves the way in which Kylie seasons the dishes with basic ingredients such as Sichuan pepper and salt (of course ground using the traditional chinese mortar and pestel). Skeeter’s personal favourites are those made of wood and marble. If you happen to visit Forest Essentials@ Khan market or Greater Kailash M-block market, you are likely to chance upon the most beautiful mortar and pestel set, Skeeter has ever come across. Ofcourse, it is not for sale. Else, Skeeter would’ve definitely picked it.
And now a confession: Skeeter want to become a chaiwali. Pouring endless number of frothy cuppas to those who pass by my shack under a tree @ a road in Manali, Leh, Dharamsala and many more places up there in the Himalayas. Ofcourse Skeeter would serve Cardamom tea and only that!!! And yes…This is one business that even the rains or the chilly weather cannot dare to dampen. 😛