Cardamom Tea – South Indian Style

Step 1: Prepare the Water and Tea Powder

Pour 1½ tumblers of water into a saucepan and place it on the stove. Allow the water to heat up until it's warm, but not yet boiling.

Step 2: Add Tea Powder

Once the water is warm, add 3 teaspoons of tea powder. Let it come to a boil, allowing the tea powder to infuse and change color.

Step 3: Add Cardamom for Flavor

As the tea powder starts to boil in the water, crush 3 green cardamoms and add them to the boiling tea mixture. Continue to boil until the flavors are well combined.

Step 4: Incorporate Milk

Immediately after the tea powder and cardamom have come to their first boil in the water, add 1/2 litre of milk to the saucepan. Stir gently.

Step 5: Add Sugar and Finish Boiling

Once the milk and tea mixture starts to come to a boil, add 6 teaspoons of sugar (adjust to your preference). Stir to dissolve the sugar. As soon as the tea comes to a full boil, turn off the flame immediately to prevent over-boiling.

Step 6: Strain and Serve

Strain the prepared tea through a tea strainer into a serving pot or directly into glasses. Aerate the tea by pouring it from a height between two glasses to create a frothy top. Serve hot.

• Select the right tea powder; adjust quantity based on tea strength (e.g., use less if the tea powder is strong dust tea).

• Always boil the tea powder in water first, not directly in milk, to extract maximum flavor.

• Add flavorings like cardamom or masala after the tea powder starts to boil in water.

• Add milk immediately after the first boil of the tea powder in water.

• Add sugar as the final stage only, and turn off the flame immediately after the tea comes to a boil with sugar.

• Substitute cardamom with masala for a Masala Tea.