Masala Moments

Sitting at home missing the camaraderie that spending time with family brings, putting on the kettle before indulging in a catch up with my favourite aunt, cousin and grandmother. A hot drink is a staple accompaniment in our story times. These days I find myself making a brew before giving them a call, to find out how their days are going during the quarantine. My favourite thing to make while doing this is masala tea or chai masala. A Kenyan classic, with a long history originating from India, now popularly enjoyed in many parts of East Africa. This aromatic spice-filled goodness makes my heart feel warm and nostalgically transports me to my childhood memories. When visiting my upcountry homestead it would always make a star appearance. This tea is a vehicle to bringing a familiar warmth and reflection of gratitude for my loved ones and those I consider family.

There are so many different ways people prepare their masala tea, the most common entails boiling whole cow’s milk with water, before adding tea leaves and the spiced blend which includes: cardamom, ginger cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper. Today making this glorious drink is very accessible with the tea masala spice being sold in most supermarkets. My personal go to is ‘tropical heat’. Masala Tea is very customizable, you can make it your own by altering the amount of spice, brew time and type of milk. It is best served with a carbohydrate filled sweet treat. I enjoy coastal delicacies from mahamri, chapati, mkate sinia and others. Today I am enjoying my cup of masala tea with kaimatis, a yeast-based cousin of the doughnut hole packed with coconut milk and cardamom. The two ways the spice is integrated is very complimentary and the two make a luxurious pairing. In writing these posts, I hope to get you to appreciate all the tea experiences you have had so far and inspire you to create more with your take on different tea. In this spirit, today Chef Mueni is going to teach us how to make a chai masala cake, a new take on the classic. I hope you try them and send pictures on instagram at @thegreenexperienceke

Ingredients:

 

 ½ cup Butter 

 ¼ cup Flavorless oil 

1 cup Caster sugar 

2 Egg 

2½ cup All-purpose flour 

 1 tsp Baking soda

1¼ cup Milk 

2tsp. Confectionery sugar for serving 

For the Tea-spices :

6 Kericho Gold Tea Bags

 ½ cup Boiling water

1 tsp Grated ginger  

1 Cinnamon stick 

1 tsp Green cardamom 

1 tsp Cloves 

1tsp Freshly grated nutmeg

Method:

1. First prepare the tea liquor and then make the tea spices. For the liquor dip the tea bags in the boiling water and set aside for 5 mins. then remove bags from water and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Discard the tea bags and reserve the tea liquor in refrigerator for 30 mins.

2. Take a dry grinder and grind all the spices together to produce grounded tea spices. Set aside with a cover until needed.

 

3. Now take a large medium mixing bowl & sieve and sift all-purpose flour, baking soda and tea spices together. Re-sift and set aside, covered.

 

4, In another large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together until sugar is dissolved completely. Crack one egg at a time and beat with an electric beater for 2 mins on medium or until batter is smooth and puffy. The batter should be pale in color. 

5. Add oil with previously prepared tea liquor into the batter and keep beating for another 1 min or until batter is smooth. Now add the flour mixture and milk alternately and gently fold with a wooden spatula. In the beginning it will feel hard to do but soon everything will be incorporated and smooth. Just stop mixing then and there otherwise it will be over mixed and that will definitely ruin the aeration of the batter which you just did few min before.

 

6. Preheat the oven to 1800C. Now prepare the baking tin by greasing with butter or oil and dusting with flour. 

 

7. Pour the cake mixture till of the pan. Level off with the spatula. Tap few times on the kitchen counter to release trapped air bubbles, if any. Sprinkle 1 tsp of tea spice or chai masala on the top. (If you have got anything extra.)

8. Bake the cake for 50-60 mins at 1800C or until a skewer comes out clean from the center of the cake. Allow the cake to be on stand-by inside the oven for another 10 mins. Carefully remove and transfer the cake on wire rack until the cake is cooled off completely.

 

9. Sprinkle some confectionery sugar on the top and serve immediately with a cup of tea. For your children use a glass of milk.

Till next treasured tea time

Mags.