Ceylon tea
Kiri thé: Sri Lankan Hill Country milk tea, strong, sweet and pulled until frothy
In the misty tea country around Nuwara Eliya, Hatton and Ella, and in every roadside tea kade across Sri Lanka, tea is made strong, sweetened generously and often whitened with milk, then poured from a height between two jugs so it cools a little and wears a frothy cap. Families drink it first thing, again at 'tea time' around four, and with every short eats snack in between. Unlike Indian masala chai there are no spices: the flavour comes from bright, brisk high-grown Ceylon black tea, often a BOP or BOPF grade. If you'd rather have it plain, kahata thé is the same tea with no milk and a bite of jaggery. The common mistake is stewing the leaves too long, which turns it bitter and tannic; three to four minutes is plenty. Chef's tip: pour from jug to jug four or five times; the 'pulled' tea is smoother and creamier.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 1 ¾ cups water to a full rolling boil in a kettle or pan.
Step 2: Put 2 tsp loose-leaf Ceylon black tea in a warmed teapot or jug, pour over the boiling water and leave to brew for 3–4 minutes, until it's a deep reddish-copper colour. Don't go longer or it turns bitter.
4 minStep 3: Meanwhile warm ½ cup whole milk in a small pan until steaming, without letting it boil.
Step 4: Strain the tea into a jug, add 3 tsp sugar and the hot milk and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Step 5: Pour the tea from a height into a second jug and back again, 4–5 times, until it has a light froth on top. Pour into cups and drink hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ceylon tea take?
- About 5 minutes in total: 1 minutes to prepare and 4 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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