Irani dum chai recipe | hyderabadi dum tea | how to make hyderabadi Irani chai

Irani dum chai recipe | hyderabadi dum tea | how to make hyderabadi Irani chai with step wise pictorial and video method is here to mesmerize you with its utterly delicious taste.

HISTORY OF IRANI DUM CHAI

hyderabadi Irani chai comes with a history. It was the Iranians who migrated to India dates back at least 1,300 years from the Iranian provinces of Yazd and Kerman.

It is said that Persian immigrants came to Bombay’s port and from Bombay they migrated to Pune and then to Hyderabad and this is how Irani chai entered Hyderabad.

In no time, Irani tea lined its way into the hearts of Hyderabadis making it characteristically Hyderabadi. That is why the irani chai is also famous with the name of hyderabadi chai or hyderabadi dum tea.

ABOUT THE RECIPE

Hyderabad remained not only eminent for its pearls and delectable biryani but even for Irani chai also.

In fact, your trip to nawabi city is undoubtedly incomplete if you don’t sip this hot beverage.

Also, not just in hyderabad, but Irani chai has established itself on almost every prominent street corner in bombay & pune too.

Hyderabad is no way short of prominent coffee houses grown up in many parts of the city, but when it comes to irani chai, it is being loved by one and all.

And hence proves, without an iota of doubt, that how other hot beverages are no match to Irani tea.

A DIFFERENT TEA RECIPE

Irani Dum chai is indeed in very different from other regular chai/tea recipe in terms of its taste & preparation process.

The tea water called tea decoction is prepared separately with the dum method.

The vessel carrying tea water is sealed properly from all sides not allowing the steam to come out & tea decoction is cooked inside by its own dum/steam for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Simultaneously on the other side of gas stove, creamy milk is prepared. Milk is heated up on low flame to such an extent that it reduces to half removing the water content.

Then the milk is made more rich by adding condensed milk or mawa in it.

DIFFERENT VIEWS ON SPICES TO GO IN TEA

There are different views with respect to the addition of spices in the traditional making of Irani Dum chai.

These spices are somewhat similar to what we add in making of chai ka masala.

Some says that the spices like cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise & the like spices are added in it.

Few have the opinion that only cardamom pods are added either in the tea decoction or milk while preparing them.

But majority view is that none of the spices are to be added in Irani chai & it is an amalgamation of water, tea leaves, milk & condensed milk/mawa only.

We preferred to stick to the majority view & after taking first sip of the tea, it was all smiles on our face with no regrets. The tea was just out of the world due to its taste and aroma.

Both tea decoction & creamy milk are prepared separately and are mixed up in the ratio of 1:3 only and only while serving, and not before that. 1:3 means one part tea decoction & 3 parts creamy milk.

So let’s look how to make hyderabadi Irani chai. But as you have landed on this post, means, you are a chai lover.

If it is so, then you can’t miss another unusual recipe of l chia which is badam pista chai. have a visual treat.

Badam pista chai recipe — Badam Pista Chai

Life of tea decoction & creamy milk

It is said that tea decoction can be preserved for upto 24 hours and creamy milk has more life beyond tea decoction’s. But you should prefer to finish, especially tea decoction, within 1 day.

Step wise pictorial method of irani dum chai recipe

For tea decoction

Take a deep pan but make sure it must have a lid.
Add water in it.
Add tea leaves.
Finally add sugar & put the pan on high flame.
Now take a dough, roll it into a cylindrical shape and attach on the borders of the pan.
Place a lid and press it so that it gets properly fixed from all sides. To make sure that steam shouldn’t come out, place some heavy weight object on the lid. We used mortar for this purpose.
While you were fixing the lid, the water would have started boiling. Keep the temperature/flame to medium & let the water boil for 30 minutes.

For creamy milk

While the tea decoction is getting ready, start the process of making creamy milk on other gas stove or induction, if you have two. For this, place a pan on induction top and add milk in it.
Let the milk simmer on low temperature. Keep stirring at short intervals otherwise milk may get burnt.
When the milk reduces to half i.e. from 3 cups to 1.5 cup, add condensed milk in it. We have used the homemade instant condensed milk. (You may add mawa too of the same quantity. Do read notes below if you are using mawa).
Let the milk simmer for 2-4 minutes so that condensed milk mixes well with the milk.

Further process

(By the time creamy milk gets ready, 30 minutes of tea decoction would also have been completed. Switch off the respective flames as and when time for both is done.)

Remove the lid of the pan carrying tea decoction. Be very careful as the pan, lid and the decoction would be piping hot.
You will have about 1/2 cup of tea decoction in the bowl.

Making Irani Dum chai for serving

Take the serving cups and pour 1/4th part of tea decoction but through a sieve.
Add 3/4th part of creamy milk over the decoction, but don’t use the sieve.

Serve hot with osmania biscuits or any cookies of your choice.

NOTES

We have added just 2 tsp of sugar because condensed milk is already very sweet. But in case you are using mawa in place of condensed milk, then add more sugar according to your taste.
Don’t mix tea decoction & creamy milk until to be served.

Irani dum chai recipe – recipe card