Sunday, April 26, 2009

April 26, 2009

Vani's Masala Chai

Ingredients:
2 Cups Milk
Good Clean Water
A Whole Cardamom Seed
A Small Thumb of Ginger
1 Heaping Tablespoon Black tea

Boil about two cups of milk with a little less than a cup of water. Reduce heat and add a heaping tablespoon on any loose black tea. Crush the cardamom seed to smithereens and add it to the mixture. Do the same with half-inch thick piece of ginger (no need to remove the skin). Let it sit for a minute and pour through a strainer.

I am addicted to masala chai. Just totally, completely in love with it. While out to lunch the other day, I picked up a dozen cookies for my maid, Vani. She was so delighted by the small gesture that she taught me how to make this tea and then made me breakfast the next morning. I call Vani my maid because I'm not exactly sure how else to explain her. She looks after Kate and David's house when they're not here to make sure everything's in order, and she cooks for them when they are in India. She stops by three times a week to sweep the floors, etc., but I'm usually too shy to really strike up a conversation or ask her for anything. I'm grateful for this new tea knowledge she gave me (must bring her cookies more often). I'm going to make the tea with a little cinnamon and clove mixed in.

Linda and I went to a march and group meditation at the ashram on Friday for the anniversary of Mirra Richards coming to stay in Pondicherry, oh so many years ago. After the march, a band played and it was the most out of tune group in the history of bands. Linda warned me of it, but it still made me laugh. She asked, "How can everyone remain so serious for it?" I'm a sucker for out of tune musicians and bad dancers, though. It's endearing to me and I thought that the off key band was the perfect microcosm of India - all the instruments and fanfare are there, but nothing's played quite right. Linda said that when she came here 33 years ago, it was all villages with just a few cars and televisions. Suddenly, all of this new technology and this new way of living was just plopped down in their culture and they've had to deal with it. According to her, they're just doing the best they can with businesses and driving, etc. They're sort of in culture shock of themselves. Linda drove us back to our place on her little electric moped and we had to suddenly stop because this giant beast was in the road, eating garbage. "Is this some sort of cow?" I really didn't know. She told me it was a buffalo. A buffalo. It surprised me, for some reason. I guess I sort of thought buffaloes were on the edge of extinction, or something. It's also surprising to think that I was three feet away from this massive beast and not afraid in the least that it might eat me, or something. When in India, you just assume that everything's a vegetarian. That all animals are garbagetarians. The animals here - I can't believe I haven't mentioned all the animals here, yet. Animals share the road with the bikes, cars, buses, and walkers. The traffic is anarchy; everybody drives on whatever side of the road is convenient and pedestrians do not have the right away, so it's tough to cross the road sometimes, especially since there are no stop signs around. Animals definitely have the right of way, though. I hear that if you hit a cow, people will practically maul you. Back to the animals (most of which I've encountered on the streets), I've seen cows, buffaloes, goats, chickens, roosters, dogs, cats, big daunting crows with their green sheen and massive beaks, wall geckos that live in my bathroom, many bugs and one monkey that was just relaxing under a tree at the ashram paper factory. My walk anywhere is like a trip to the zoo.

As beautiful as it is in Pondicherry, I'm growing tired of the scenery. I should be going to Sadhana Forest in Auroville next week. Yesterday, I went back to the Savitri Bhavan hall in Auroville to listen to Professor Aravinda Basu share his memories of Sri Aurobindo. He was such a beautiful old man. Funny as old men usually are. As captivating as any old yogi must be. He smiled and nodded at me as he shuffled out the door. I wanted to put him in my pocket and take him home with me.

6 comments:

Alex said...

I will have to try this recipe. Have to find a cardamom seed? Keep up the writing and include some more pictures!!!

Nick Cheski said...

Boy Krys, that's quite an honor. Indians are typically VERY secretive about their recipes. Now if she gives you a CURRY recipe... consider yourself family, because they are EXTREMELY guarded about their curry recipes.

I'd buy her more than a dozen cookies next time ;)

Dana Patten said...

Now I have to figure out where to get this tea for you so I can bring it to you when you come back to work.
Moving the store today & tomorrow. Wish you were here to give your great advise on where to put everything. Miss you tons. Be safe
Dana

rosieinbj said...

Wow, thanks for the recipe. I love chai tea (is that redundant? Doesn't 'chai' mean 'tea'?). I'm not sure if I can get a cardamom seed here, but I'm going to try.

I found this post really interesting. The sudden explosion of technology and how locals try to deal with it-I see that here in China and I can definitely relate to the crazy traffic and perils of being a pedestrian.

MOM said...

Hi Krys, I hope your having a great time. Your making memories you will never forget. Would you be able to bring home some spices or are they restricted? I hope you will be able to update us when you go to volunteer. Stay safe, LOVE MOM

Krystina said...

Playing around with the recipe, I have found that it's best with no water added at all. Straight up milk and spices. The cardamom should be green cardamom -and I see Penzey's Spices (in Milwaukee by Southridge Mall or online at http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyscardamom.html) sells it, if it can't be found elsewhere. That's really the spice that makes it. I'll try to sneak some home in my luggage, mom. And yeah, Rosie, chai does mean tea, but I rather like the redundancy of chai tea.

Thanks for the comments, Rosie. I think the juxtaposition of old and new culture is really striking outside of the U.S. I noticed it a lot in Japan as well. It would be interesting to write a paper on the old & new culture clash in Asia.