by Jeff Koehler
Darjeeling’s nuanced flavor is best appreciated without milk, sugar, or, because of its slight natural astringency, lemon. But if it is impossible to drink it straight, increase steeping time to 4 minutes for adding sugar and to 5 minutes for milk.
MASALA CHAI
Indian spiced tea—properly called masala chai—can include any number of spices, though cardamom pods, fresh ginger, cloves, black peppercorns, and a piece of cinnamon stick are the most common. Some also include fennel seeds, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, and even bay leaves.
Makes 4 glasses:
4 cardamom pods
2 cloves
4 whole black peppercorns
1-inch/2.5-cm piece cinnamon stick
2 cups/480 ml whole milk
1-inch/2.5-cm piece fresh ginger, grated or chopped
3 Tbsp sugar, or more to taste
2 Tbsp loose, strong black tea leaves or 2 tea bags
In a mortar, crush the cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the milk and 2 cups/480 ml water, the crushed spices, and the ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, allow the foam to subside. Stir in the sugar and tea and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on desired strength of tea, stirring from time to time and watching that it does not boil over.
Strain into 4 tea glasses.
CHENNAI CHAI
Call this version from Chennai—established by the East India Company in 1639 and known as Madras until 1996—masala chai light. Or at least lighter. Instead of boiling the spices in the milky liquid, the ginger and cardamom are placed in a droopy cloth strainer and the tea is poured through them. (While the cardamom here is for the flavor, the ginger is largely for health.) You make this at home but also get it on the street, where the strainers are stained and stretched from use.
Makes 2 glasses:
1 Tbsp strong black tea leaves or 1 tea bag
½ cup/120 ml whole milk
2 Tbsp sugar or to taste
2 cardamom pods
½-inch/1.25-cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled
In a saucepan, bring 1½ cups/360 ml water to a boil, add the tea, and boil for 4 minutes. Add the milk, return to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Stir in the sugar.
Meanwhile, in a mortar, crush the cardamom pods with a pestle. Add the ginger and give it a firm smack. Transfer to a strainer.
Slowly pour the tea through the strainer into 2 tea glasses.
TIBETAN TEA WITH SALT AND BUTTER
“Tea is a favourite beverage, the black sort brought from China in large cakes being that preferred,” wrote Dr. Archibald Campbell, Darjeeling’s first superintendent and the area’s original tea planter, of the Lepchas. “It is prepared by boiling, after which the decoction is churned up in a chunga, with butter and salt; milk is never taken with tea.”1
Visitors to Darjeeling today still find similar salty butter teas—though usually with the addition of milk—prepared by the Tibetan community. In 1959, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, then a teenager, and about 80,000 of his followers fled China over the Himalayas into India after an abortive uprising. Today 150,000 Tibetan refugees live in India, including many in Darjeeling.
This recipe is adapted from Kunga’s, a decades-old-favorite, family-run Tibetan place in the center of Darjeeling just below the Planters’ Club. “Yak’s milk is best,” the owner advises. “But if you don’t have yak’s milk, then use Amul Gold.” For those that can’t find that popular brand of Indian milk, any other whole milk or even half-and-half works well.
It’s a warm, caloric, and energy-supplying drink, great for cold weather and mountainous climates.
Makes 4 glasses:
2 heaped Tbsp loose black tea or 2 tea bags
½ cup/120 ml whole milk or half-and-half, either cow, goat, or yak
1 heaped Tbsp butter, preferably salted, and ideally from yak milk
Generous pinch salt (more if using unsalted butter)
In a saucepan, bring 3½ cups/800 ml water to a boil, add the tea, remove from the heat, and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain the tea, and discard the leaves.
Transfer to a blender. Add the milk, butter, and salt. Cover the blender tightly and blend for 2 to 3 minutes until frothy.
Return the liquid to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour into tea glasses, and serve scalding hot.
FRESH PASSION-FRUIT CHAI
The restaurant of the quirky and efficient Cochrane Place Hotel in Kurseong is aptly named Chai Country Café as it sits within minutes of Ambootia, Castleton, and Makaibari estates, with another dozen gardens visible from its terraces. The bar has a resident tea master and mixologist, a young Bengali named Laltu Purkait, who prepares highly original drinks that range from Paan Chai, which recalls paan—betel leaf filled with areca nut, lime paste, spices, and all sorts of other ingredients and chewed after a meal—to an even more exotically spiced Tandoori Chai, which uses almonds and rosewater to balance its heady, savory spice blend and offer floral notes to the flickering hints of fire.
This recipe is Laltu’s specialty during the monsoon, when passion fruit are in season. Brilliant, cloudy orange in color, with high tangy notes, a certain sweet freshness, and nonaggressive bite of pepper. Don’t discard the seeds. They are good for digestion, Laltu insists.
Per glass:
1½ tsp Darjeeling or another orthodox long-leaf tea
Pulp of ½ fresh passion fruit, with all juices and seeds, about 1½ Tbsp
1 Tbsp sugar
1 generous pinch freshly ground black pepper
In a stove-top teapot or saucepan, bring 1 cup/240 ml freshly drawn water to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add the tea, cover the teapot, and let infuse for 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a tall tea glass, add the passion fruit pulp, juice and seeds, sugar, and black pepper, and whisk well.
Strain the tea into the tea glass. Serve hot.
BEGINNINGS TO A DARJEELING DAY
ALOO DUM
This classic potato dish, popular across much of India, is a breakfast favorite in Darjeeling. Often including tomatoes and a thicker “gravy,” this version is the kind of quick and simple one found on many tea gardens and takes its inspiration from Prem, the family cook on Goomtee Tea Estate. At the center of the estate is the factory, and up a couple dozen meandering rockery steps through flower gardens, is the red-roofed manager’s bungalow, with its varnished wood floors and walls, airy rooms, and long, enclosed verandah, built by the India-born, British tea pioneer Henry Montgomery Lennox for his family.
Serve the aloo dum with hot puri (following recipe) as Prem does.
Serves 4 to 6:
2 pounds/910 g small or medium white potatoes
Salt
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 heaped Tbsp freshly grated fresh ginger
3 Tbsp sunflower or canola oil
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
2 generous pinches turmeric
½ tsp chili flakes
Finely chopped, fresh cilantro (coriander leaves), for garnishing
Scrub the potatoes but do not peel. Place them in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt, reduce the heat to medium low, partly cover the pot, and gently boil until tender (but not mushy) and the tip of a knife penetrates with little resistance, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into pieces just bigger than bite-size.
Meanwhile, mash the garlic to a paste in a mortar with the ginger.
In a large sauté pan, skillet, or wok, heat the oil over medium heat and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to jump, stir in the garlic-ginger paste. Cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in the turmeric and chili flakes, season with salt, and immediately add the potatoes. Add 2 to 3 Tbsp water and turn to coat the potatoes in the sauce well. Reduce the heat to low, loosely cover the pan, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until hot and cooked through. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
&nb
sp; PURI
Puri—fried flatbread that puffs up like a bellows—is a favorite companion to aloo dum (previous recipe) on Darjeeling gardens, especially for guests or on special occasions. (Chapatis and parathas are other daily options.) Puri is also a classic snack combo in the north of the country with a glass of masala chai. Puri never tastes better than when eaten on an Indian railway platform during—or better, after—a long train journey.
Makes about 12 puri:
2 cups/250 g atta flour or an equal blend of whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour (see note below)
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil plus more for deep-frying
Put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and work in the 1 Tbsp of oil. Gradually work in ⅔ cup/150 ml lukewarm water to form a firm dough. On a lightly floured surface, knead until soft, about 10 minutes. Lightly oil, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough with the hands to a thick rope and divide into 12 pieces each about the size of a walnut. Until ready to roll, cover with a damp towel or piece of plastic wrap to keep from drying out.
In a deep skillet or wok, heat 2 inches/5 cm of oil over medium-high heat. The oil is the right temperature when a small piece of dough floats and vigorously bubbles.
One by one, press down the balls of dough and roll out, working in different directions to keep it round, into thin disks about 5 to 6 inches/12.5 to 15 cm in diameter. Carefully pull up the puri and slide it into the hot oil. Lightly force down with a back of a large, slotted spoon and keep it submerged with gentle taps until it begins to puff up and turn a golden brown, 10 to 15 seconds. Gently turn it over. (Do not turn again.) Fry until deep golden brown, another 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer with the slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Serve hot.
Note: Atta flour is stone-ground, semihard wheat flour. It is sometimes sold as chapati flour. A good substitute is a one-to-one blend of whole-wheat and all-purpose flours.
MASALA OMELET
Another breakfast staple around Darjeeling, feisty and flavorful masala omelets are best kept thin and prepared either individually or for two people.
This recipe serves two. Individual omelets can be prepared without folding in half; simply cook until set and then slide off the pan and onto a plate.
4 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small red onion, finely chopped, about ¼ cup
1 plum tomato, finely chopped, about ¼ cup
1 small green chili, deseeded and minced
2 tsp sunflower, canola, or light olive oil
Finely chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves), for garnishing
In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until spongy. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in the onion, tomato, and chili.
In a 10-inch/25-cm nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Immediately swirl the pan to evenly spread the mixture and to keep the egg from sticking as it begins to set. Without stirring, let the egg firm up, 1 to 2 minutes. Loosen the omelet with a thin spatula, and fold the omelet in half. Let cook for another 2 minutes or so until done but still moist in the middle, turning it over toward the end.
Slide the omelet onto a plate, generously scatter cilantro over the top, and serve immediately.
PORRIDGE
Included in The Englishwoman in India and published anonymously by “A Lady Resident” in 1864, this porridge recipe still familiar in Darjeeling:
Put as many cups of water, or milk, as you require porridge, into a large saucepan: when it boils fast throw in some salt, and shake the oatmeal in with one hand, stirring all the time with the other. Use a stick and not a spoon. Pour it into a deep dish when thick enough, and send a jug of milk to table with it.2
Surely early British settlers in Darjeeling found this dish—slow to digest, slow to release its energy—a perfect way to begin the area’s cold and damp mornings.
It’s no surprise that the Windamere Hotel, which began its life as a boardinghouse for English and Scottish planters, still serves the best in town. Made with Indian-grown oats and served every morning, the flavor is bold, and its texture, far from gooey or clumpy, is fine without being too chewy. While some traditionalists in Scotland demand that just oats, water, and a pinch of salt be used, in the high altitudes around Darjeeling, milk is added, too.
This recipe calls for traditional, noninstant, non-quick-cooking oats.
Serves 4:
1 cup/110 g medium steel-cut or Scottish or Irish oats (noninstant)
1 cup/240 ml whole milk
Salt
Small jug milk, hot or cold as desired, for serving
Brown sugar, for serving
In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups/480 ml water to a boil. Add the oats and the milk, and stir with the handle of a wooden spoon. Return to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer uncovered until the consistency is thick and the oats tender but still chewy, about 45 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add in a touch more water or milk if needed.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir in a couple pinches of salt, cover, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir again.
Serve in bowls with the jug of milk on the side to pour generously over the top as desired as well as brown sugar to stir in to sweeten to taste.
TO ACCOMPANY AFTERNOON TEA
THE RITZ OF LONDON’S AFTERNOON TEA SCONES
These divine scones are adapted from The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea. While the author calls them “austere little cakes, perfect vehicles for jam and cream,”3 do not overwhelm them with such sweet toppings, as the scones themselves have a delicate and delightful flavor.
Makes about 12 scones:
1½ cups/225 g all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt or slightly less
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing pan
⅔ cup/160 ml whole milk or buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/gas mark 7.
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the baking powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Work in the butter with the fingertips until the mixture has the consistency of large, flaky crumbs. Stir in the milk using a spatula until the dough is soft.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a ½-inch (1.25-cm) thickness. Using a pastry cutter 2 to 2½ inches (5 to 6.5 cm) in diameter or a water glass, press out rounds. (Do not to twist when pressing out, or the scones are likely to bake unevenly.)
Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter. Arrange the rounds on the sheet. Lightly dust their faces with flour.
Bake until they have risen and turned golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Serve warm.
AFTERNOON TEA POUND CAKE
So named for its use of a pound each of its quartet of ingredients—flour, sugar, eggs, and butter—this loaf endures as a favorite for afternoon tea. As the author of an Anglo-Indian cookbook remarked, “A pound cake is a pound cake, as solid and dependable as the British Empire in its heyday.”4 This version has baking powder to give the cake a slightly fluffier note and some vanilla extract to offer a fragrant hint of warmth.
Serves 6 to 8:
1½ cup/150 g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
Generous pinch of salt
⅔ cup/150 g butter, at room temperature
¾ cup/150 g granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4.
Line the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch/20- or 23-cm loaf pan with parchment paper. Sift the flour together with the baking powder and salt.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for at least 2 or 3 minutes until pale, light, and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and then the eggs, one by one
, scraping down the mixing bowl after each. Beat until smooth and silky. While beating over low speed, gradually add in the dry ingredients until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Smooth down the surface with a spatula. Tap down to settle.
Place in the oven and bake until golden, about 35 minutes. When its done, the top should be springy and a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean.
Let cool after taking from the oven, then remove the cake from the pan. Cut into thin slices and serve.
ONION PAKORAS (SPICY ONION FRITTERS)
Bought on a railway platform during a stop of the Darjeeling Mail on its journey north from Kolkata to NJP station outside Siliguri, in one of the roadside tea shops on the curvy and much-patched road up into the hills, or for afternoon tea in Darjeeling itself, crispy, deep-fried pakoras—also known as bhajia—are a favorite snack with tea. The Elgin serves its delectable pakoras with trio of chutneys and some sweet tomato-chili sauce. They make a perfect snack while dinner slow-cooks.
Or just to nibble on to pass a rainy day. On one such drizzly June day in Darjeeling, the city was brimming with Indian visitors escaping the searing the heat of the plains. “But none of the tourists ventured out today,” one hotel manager lamented to the Calcutta Telegraph correspondent. “They watched TV and ordered unending rounds of tea and pakora.”5
Makes about 10 to 12 pakoras:
1 cup/125 g gram (chickpea) flour
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp black onion seeds (optional)
⅓ cup loosely packed chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 to 2 small, fresh green chilies, deseeded and finely chopped
½ tsp salt
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
Vegetable oil for frying