Winter Warmers
I wanted to share one of my absolute favourite winter warmers with you – a comforting cup of homemade Indian Masala Chai, best enjoyed with a slice of my super simple, sweet-and-zingy lemon cake 🍋☕.
Authentic Indian Masala Chai (Tea)
This chai is pure comfort in a cup – sweet, spicy, milky, and full of gorgeous warming aromas. It’s the perfect pick-me-up on a chilly day and is quickly becoming a favourite among tea-loving Kiwis too!
Ingredients:
4 – Green cardamoms (or ¼ t ground)
2 - Cloves (or 1/8 t ground)
½ to ¾ inch – Cinnamon piece (or 1/8 t ground)
2 – Pepper corns (or a pinch of ground pepper, optional)
Ingredients to make Tea:
1½ c – Water
1 c – Full fat milk (e.g., Anchor Blue Milk)
2½ - 3 t – Black tea leaves (or) 1½ t – tea dust (or powder) (or) 3 – 4 tea bags (I prefer Dilmah Ceylon)
2-3 t – Sugar, or as needed
½ t (or) ½ inch – Ginger, finely chopped or crushed (optional)
Method:
- Crush the spices: Use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to roughly crush the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and peppercorns. Tip: Make extra and store it in a little glass jar for next time!
- Boil the spices: In a small pot, heat the water. Add your crushed spices, ginger, and tea. Start with 1 tsp of tea – you can always add a little more later.
- Simmer the tea: Bring to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to medium. Let it boil for 2–3 minutes, until the water turns a rich brown colour.
- Add milk & sugar: Pour in the milk and sugar, then gently bring it back to a boil. (If using tea bags, take them out now.) Be careful not to let it boil over!
- Final simmer: Lower the heat and simmer for another 2 minutes. The chai should turn a creamy golden-brown and you’ll see a lovely layer of cream form on top.
- Optional ‘pulling’ step for extra frothiness: To get that authentic street-style chai, carefully pour a bit of the hot tea into a cup, then back into the pot from a bit of height (about 30–40cm). Do this 4–5 times – it makes the chai thick, creamy, and frothy!
- Strain & serve: Strain your lovely chai into cups and enjoy with a bikkie, a samosa, or a slice of my lemon cake. Serves 2
Quick & Easy Lemon Cake 🍋
This is my trusty go-to cake when friends pop in unexpectedly for a cuppa, or when we need a light, zesty dessert after a hearty meal. It’s simple, delicious, and always a hit with both kids and grown-ups!
With lemons and oranges in season – and our little backyard trees bursting with juicy, organically grown fruit – there’s no better time to bake. Fresh, fragrant, and full of flavour… this cake never lets me down.
Ingredients for cake:
240 g – Butter, softened
2 c – Flour
4 or 5 t – Baking powder
1+ 1/3 c – Sugar
4 – Eggs (size 6)
¼ c – Milk
Grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
Ingredients for topping:
Juice of 1 lemon, strained
¼ c – Sugar
1-2 T – Boiling water to dissolve sugar
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 1800C (360 F).
2. Grease and line a rectangular 20cm x 30cm baking tin.
3. Add all the cake ingredients together in a food processor bowl, in the order above and blend for 2-3 minutes, till it is well combined. At this point, the cake batter will be runny and light like a pancake batter; if the batter is stiff, add a few more tablespoons of milk and blend.
4. Pour the cake batter into baking tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven when the top of cake is light golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
5. Topping: In a separate bowl, mix the juice of a lemon with sugar and just enough boiling water to dissolve the sugar. Topping will be runny and watery. Spoon the topping onto cake soon after removing it from the oven. Leave cake in the tin to cool. Cake texture will be light and soft. Enjoy with your favourite cuppa tea! Tip: This recipe can be halved to fit an 8-inch square baking pan.
6. Note: you can substitute oranges for lemons, to make an orange cake. Makes 24 pieces.
Enjoy! xox
Rachel