MASALA CHAI AND PAKODAS

This is the perfect Masala Chai and Pakora kind of weather! It's raining outside, and we feel like curling up with a cup of steaming hot masala chai and a plate full of crisp pakoras ☕️ Ah, heaven!

Masala chai spiced with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves and slow-cooked with milk and sugar for the perfect cup! This masala chai recipe coupled with piping hot assort....


NGREDIENTS
Masala Chai:
1 piece cinnamon, about 1-inch
2 cloves
3 green cardamom pods
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon tea leaves
250 ml whole milk, (full cream milk), about 1 cup
1 tablespoon sugar


Pakoda Batter:
3⁄4 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1⁄2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 large pinch baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon red chilli powder


Pakodas:
vegetable oil, to deep fry
2 onions, large, (about 200 grams), sliced in ¼-inch rounds
2 potatoes, (about 200 grams), sliced in ¼-inch rounds, and placed in salted water for 30 minutes
10 spinach leaves, whole

COOKING METHOD
Pour 3 cups water into a saucepan and place on medium heat. Add cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom pods, ginger, and tea leaves; bring to a boil, stir, and then allow to boil for about 5 minutes.

Add milk to the saucepan; stir, bring back to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Toss in sugar; stir to dissolve. Allow to boil for another 5 – 6 minutes.

While the chai is boiling, prepare the pakora batter. Place chickpea flour (besan) in a large bowl, add salt, baking soda, red chilli powder, mix well, then pour in just enough water (between ½ and ¾ cup) to make a thick batter. Stir the batter well ensuring that there are no lumps. Set aside.

Place a kadhai or wok over high heat; add enough oil to deep-fry. Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, test the oil with ¼ teaspoon of batter. If the batter rises up to the surface with small bubbles forming around it, the oil is ready. Dip onion slices individually into the batter, and place carefully into the hot oil, making sure you do not overcrowd the kadhai. Fry for about 1 minute on each side till the pakoras are golden brown all over. Repeat with remaining onion in batches. Follow the same method for the potatoes, frying about 1 minute on each side till golden brown.

Dip a spinach leaf into the batter, and place carefully into the hot oil. Fry for about 30 seconds on each side till the pakora is golden brown all over. Repeat for remaining spinach. Remove and place all pakoras on kitchen paper to drain excess oil.

Pour hot masala chai into small glasses or kularhs (clay cups). Serve immediately with hot pakoras.