A giant tea strainer-shaped light fixture rocks the decor, with protruding dragonflies in enamel-licked contours, setting the mood for a refreshing tea ditty at The Fatty Bao, the quirky, fun Asian dining spot in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. Forget the ennui-laced iced tea, the Mandalay Bay here arrives at the bar as a cool thirstbuster with jasmine tea infusions, lime juice, freshly cut orange slices, vodka tones and liberal inserts of ginger beer. And as if to strengthen the chai call a bit further, Chef Manu Chandra whips up the light, delectable green tea chiffon cake, in a pouting roll, with yuzu paste, as a cold dessert. A perfect matcha mambo.
Says Executive Chef Manav Koul at Sofitel BKC in Mumbai, “The easy availability of tea in every house makes it an important part of culinary life in India. You need to understand what flavours you wish to bring in through the inclusion of tea in your recipe. Green tea offers a subtle flavour and black tea, a darker, fermented experience. Like a tea-infused sauce with fish balances out the flavours beautifully,” he explains. “I prepare a tuna carpaccio with green tea sorbet for a clever, flavourful mix. I use tea as a smoking agent, while cooking seabass or a steak, using dry tea as a spicy rub for grills and even tea-flavoured oils for a mild finish. A Chilean sea bass or orange Peking duck with tea-smoked sauce tastes brilliant,” Koul shares.
So, the humble chai has brewed into fabulous avatars over the years and is wowing the natives in eclectic forms. Tea has sojourned down the ages across the plantations in the Himalayas, through Chinese brews, quaint gems in Greek tsai, Russian chai, Arabic shay to Persian cha and Turkish çay. The growth of tea ninjas and globally savvy Indians has brought in a winsome inclusion of tea strains in culinary gospels worldwide and rapidly so in India.
Subtle infusions work best for Chef Gregory Bazire of Taj Mahal Tea House. “I marinate fish with fresh tea leaves for a delicate taste, and often steam chicken by brewing tea and star anise,” Bazire says. The Tropical Matcha with seasonal fresh fruits rolled into the milky concoction wins hands down at Tea House that brings in a concise, yet enervating menu powered by tea inserts in every recipe. From hot tea toddy with caramel and cinnamon poured into glasses at haute Italian eatery Serafina to the whisky-laced chai pani at the modish bistro Farzi Cafe to the creamy chai panacotta with salty sable crumble at Taj Mahal Tea House, tea is making its presence felt in eye popping and lipcurling forms across menus.
“The main challenge lies in circumventing the astringency of tea,” says celebrity chef Ranveer Brar. “Tea has the ability to catch your tongue and leave your mouth dry. So use it adroitly in your preparations.” Brar has perfected the preparation of tea-smoked quail and Darjeeling tea-encrusted kingfish, cooked with a little bit of seaweed and lots of black pepper. “My signature dessert is chai coffee, which is tea-infused mousse served up with coffee rasgulla,” says Brar.
The culinary coupling is in full glow, with green tea-stroked pasta to masala chai popsicles to tea poppy cookies and more. So go on, celebrate!