Chai Tea and Saag Paneer

            Two terms that drove me up the wall.   Anyone mention it to me and I'd go,      "there they go stereotyping this innocent Indian woman". I went from this notoriously irritating phase to "Oh, let me help you stereotype me into one of those Indian women".

             From where I come from in India, which is the Southern part, we drink tea. Add tea leaves to boiling water and milk, simmer a couple minutes, add sugar and drink. We even call it.... tea. Some households, drink it twice a day, some thrice, some keep no count. But that is it.

             I had never heard of 'chai' unless it was part of learning Hindi where chai means tea.  The first time I drank chai was in the United states. After hearing so much about chai and after being asked numerous times if I can make chai, I relented and got some chai powder added it to my tea and whoa! was blown away. The spices deepened the flavor and heightened the taste. The aroma tied it all together and my throat was beyond pleased.

             Since then I have taken a keen interest in switching things around with what I add to my chai. Crushed ginger, or pepper or cardamoms and cloves and cinnamon. Anyway I make it, it hits the spot. This year, I downloaded a recipe from the internet and made 25 packets of chai powder as a gift for my kids' teachers and my friends. Thus, enlisting myself to be kindly stereotyped.

           Oh and remember the time I said chai was a hindi word for tea? That is why I still get all riled up when someone says Chai tea, but maybe I shouldn't. I live in a town that has a Table Mesa mountain!!

             Saag paneer..................never heard of it either, until I came to the US. Did not even know what Saag meant. Sounded like it could be soggy and guess what, it IS! Once again, I have to pertain to the fact, that it is a North Indian dish and there was no reason for me to hear about it in my state where we have our own cuisine and very spoilt taste buds. Yet again, when people ask you over and over if I knew how to cook it, there is a sense of intrigue that makes you want to try it. That or your town only has North Indian restaurants and your choices  for  Indian eat outs are limited. Today I have had 2 friends tell me that I make the best Saag in the world. GREAT! Stereotyping going great.