Irani Chai Recipe (Hyderabadi Irani Tea)

Tip: click step to get into cook mode

1½ cups (360 ml) water

2 tablespoons black tea ((loose tea leaves or dust))

6 green cardamoms

1½ to 2 tablespoons refined sugar ((adjust to taste))

1½ cup (360 ml) full fat milk

Pour milk to a deep pot and add sugar. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer until it reduces to ½ the quantity.
Optional- If you don't like layers of cream/ clotted cream in your Irani chai, pull the milk as it boils. To do this, take a ladle full of milk and pour it back to the pot. Repeat this a few times until the cream breaks down & the milk turns frothy. Keep doing this a few times.
Meanwhile pour water to another pot and add the tea. Crush the cardamom pods well and add them to the pot.
Cover and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer (covered) for 7 to 8 mins. Strain the chai to a kettle.
When the milk has evaporated to half the quantity, Turn off the heat.
Divide the chai to serving cups and top with thick milk. If you don't like cream, you can strain it or pull the milk first in the pot and then pour it to the chai cup. (You can play around with the quantity of chai: milk)
Irani chai is ready to serve.