When you type this, a pan of tea, cardamom and sugar is bubbly on the stove. In 20 minutes, add the evaporated milk to reduce the heat, then wait again for simmering. make Zaynab Issa’s Karak Chai, you are committed to patience and payoffs: spicy, milky tea that warms you from head to toe.
Chai means tea, but with the Starbucksization of tea, we will soon associate it with a milky cardamom-enhanced version. “I ordered my fair share,” laughed Zainab. The third cultural disha playful blend of recipes that touch on the identity of her family Koja: the diaspora of Indians who have migrated to East Africa.
Zaynab describes “third cultural cuisine” as a category that “helps define a bunch of immigrant children.” There is a mall cinnamon roll, Samosa spice smash hamburgerand French onion ramen. The book design draws you into her beautiful world, and Karakchai brightens up your own.
“This chai is not casual,” Zainab told me. And she isn’t. With the author New York Times Cuisine Contributor It’s always I was dressed perfectly (In fact, we spoke after zipping out of the New York fashion show where she lives).
The secret secret to making chai like tea that Zaynab writes in his book is to use British black tea like Tetree and PG tips. Those strong teas can take 30 minutes and go out into battle. (Lipton never could.) When Zaynab was a child, they visited Canadian families, stocked up on Tetleys, opened boxes in Ziploc bags and packed them. But now it’s easier to get. Found it at a Major in Michigan.
We talked about how tea nuances and rituals hit some of those same notes in a non-alcoholic culture. Drinking chai “is intentional,” she said, just as you might open an aged bottle of bourbon. Often her mom will wear it Pyrex Flameware Glass Kettle To start it while they still eat dinner, it will simmer while the dishes are washed and the table is clean. Once everyone moves to the living room and chats, Chai is ready. “The tea pot is stretching out in the evening,” Zainab says. “It keeps us together for longer.”
Karak Chai, two ways
Service 6
35 minutes
The spices used may vary from household to household, but cardamom is essential. This amount of sugar feels like a minimal amount of a pleasant drinking experience, but feel free to adjust it…or serve tea with a bowl of sugar along with a spoon filled with taste. Fair warning, someone mixes the chai using a dry sugar spoon and then puts it back into a now crumb sugar bowl. That’s when I have to remember to breathe – it’s all part of the experience. – Zaynab Issa
Tetley Brand Tea Bags or PG Tips, or 4 teaspoons of black tea leaves
13 Cardamom Pod, Cracked
3 inch cinnamon stick
Add 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and taste more (or cane or light brown sugar)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, optional
1 cup (240 ml) evaporated milk
Combine 6 cups (1.4 L) of water, tea bags, cardamom, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla in a stove-safe tea kettle or medium pan. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. It is common to stir the evaporated milk and bring it to a boil, carefully check to prevent the tea from boiling, and when milk is introduced, it will boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium and low and simmer until thick, creamy and caramel is about 25 minutes. The longer the tea, the stronger and creamier it becomes, but the volume also decreases. Taste the sweetness you want and add sugar to your liking.
Place the chai into the mug through a fine mesh sieve. Throw away the spices and tea bags. Add additional sugar to the sides.
Variations with Cocoa:
Whisk 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder with tea, spices, sugar and vanilla.
thank you, Zainab!
Alex Beggs is an author and copywriter who lives with a partner in Michigan. Her articles appeared in Bon Appetit, Elle Decor and The New York Times. She also writes about her father’s meatloaf, cold cake, and (very) bad hair day in Joe’s Cup.
PS Everyone’s socks knocking down hot chocolate and five fun things we noticed at the drink party.
Excerpt from third culture dishes from a new book: A new generation of classic recipes by Zaynab Issa. Photo Copyright (c) 2025 by Graydon Herriott. Published by Abrams.
Source: Cup of Jo – cupofjo.com
