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Doodh patti

Strong milk tea

دودھ پتی (doodh patti): strong tea boiled in milk the roadside dhaba way

Doodh patti is poured from a dented pan at every truck stop, university canteen and street-corner dhaba in Pakistan, from Karachi's Saddar to the Murree road, and it is drunk at all hours: before work, after cricket, at midnight with a paratha. The tea is made without any water at all, boiling loose black tea and sugar in milk until it turns a deep caramel colour and tastes rich, malty and strong. The mistake is simmering too gently and pulling it off too soon, giving a weak, milky drink; it needs a proper rolling boil, more than once. Contains milk. Chef's tip: lift the pan off the heat each time the tea froths to the top and return it, three times; each rise deepens the colour and flavour.
Total time
11 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
2
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Ingredients

Serves2

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Method

0/3 done
  1. Step 1: Pour 2 cups whole milk into a small pan with 3 tsp strong loose black tea (CTC/granular), 3 tsp sugar and 2 green cardamom pods and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, stirring now and then so it doesn't catch.

    3 min
  2. Step 2: When it froths up, lift the pan off the heat until it settles, then return it. Repeat three times, until the tea is a deep, even toffee colour.

    6 min
  3. Step 3: Strain into cups or glasses, pouring from a little height for a froth on top, and serve very hot.

    1 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
150 kcal
Protein
6 g
Carbs
18 g
Fat
6 g
Fibre
0 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does doodh patti take?
About 11 minutes in total: 1 minutes to prepare and 10 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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