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Lebu cha
লেবু চা (lebu cha): black tea with lime juice, sugar, black salt and roasted cumin, sold in tiny clay cups
Along College Street and around Esplanade, the tea sellers who pour lebu cha into little unglazed clay cups (bhaar) are the fuel of Kolkata's famous evening adda, the long arguments over books and football. It is weak black tea, sweetened, sharpened with fresh lime and finished with a pinch of sulphurous black salt and roasted cumin, so it tastes sweet, sour and faintly savoury. It is drunk hot in every season and the cup is thrown away. Chef's tip: steep the tea briefly; long-brewed tea plus lime turns harsh and astringent.
- Total time
- 7 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 3 tsp sugar
- 1 limejuiced
- ¼ tsp black salt (kala namak)
- ¼ tsp roasted cumin powder
- 4 fresh mint leaves (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil, take it off the heat and add 2 tsp loose black tea (Darjeeling or Assam).
4 minStep 2: Steep for 1½–2 minutes only, until amber, then strain. Common mistake: boiling or stewing the leaves; with lime added the tea turns bitter.
2 minStep 4: Divide between small cups and top each with a pinch of ¼ tsp black salt (kala namak) and ¼ tsp roasted cumin powder. Add a torn 4 fresh mint leaves leaf if you like, and drink hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 20 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lebu cha take?
- About 7 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
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