
Teh Tarik Masala
Where I come from, tea is popularly served in a glass, sweetened with condensed milk topped with a froth normally achieved by pouring the tea from a height in a stream. It is known as teh tarik. On a particularly hot day some people actually asked for it served with ice. I grew up with teh tarik. I used to love the creaminess of it. However later my life, I find I could no longer stand its sickly sweetness because of the amount of condensed milk added to the tea to give it the right colour. Plus when you are married to a diabetic, you need to watch your sugar intake.
Then I met Bashiran who introduced me to a different kind of teh tarik. It is still milky and creamy like the original teh tarik but I can choose how much sweetening I prefer or not at all. You can even have a froth using the same method as teh tarik. The addition of spices gave it a whole new dimension. Thanks Bashiran.
Ingredients:
1 mug of milk
1 mug of water
4 cardamom seeds
a pinch of fennel seeds
a slice of ginger smashed (optional)
a small shard of cinnamon
sugar to taste (optional)
2 tea bags
SERVES 2
Mix the liquids in a milk pan. Add the spices and ginger if using. Bring to the boil. Once boiled, lower the heat and cook for a few more minutes. Strain the liquid into two mugs. Dip a tea bag in each mug and let it brew to the desired strength.
Add sugar to taste, (or not at all). Enjoy!!