From adrak chai to lemongrass tea, celebs describe #meriwalichai

We Indians like our chai to be made in a specific way. A little deviation from the recipe can spoil fun and ruin our mornings. Each of us have a specific preference when it comes to tea. While some prefer kadak chai, some prefer a mild version of the beverage. Some like to put in a lot of masala and others like to keep it to a few ingredients only. Now that the winter is here, we can speak to celebs, who are tea aficionados, to know how they like their cuppa and what ingredients are a must.

My chai time is the moment of joy for me. I prefer to make it myself. Meri waali chai is ekdum kadak and it has to be with masala. I put adrak , kaali miri, elaichi and lemon grass. After boiling it nicely, I add 1 tablespoon of chai patti and then just a few drops of milk . Chai is my happy place and I am too thankful for its invention.

I am a tea person and my day doesn't start until the time I have my cup of tea. I like my tea first thing in the morning. While a lot of people like to drink tea with a lot of masala and adrak, I am the complete opposite. I like plain tea, just milk, water, and tea leaves. I like strong tea and so I put very little milk in it.

My chai has to have lemongrass and pudina. It is a traditional way of making chai, especially with Parsis as we love the pudine wali chai, and lemongrass wali chai. It’s something that I have had in my childhood and the taste has still lingered on. If there is no lemongrass, I am in a foul mood. So, I stock my lemongrass and pudina. In fact, I have got a lemongrass plant at home . Percy, my partner, has also started loving the way I make my chai. My friends know that my specialty is lemongrass chai. My morning has to start with lemongrass and pudine wali chai. I do a concoction of adrak, elaichi, lemongrass, pudina, and daalchini when I have a bad throat. I really don’t like green tea. Milk has to be less in my tea, like how they say on the set, patli chai!

Now that winters are here, I am drinking a lot of tea. Even otherswise, I can drink tea every day. I like to try different types of ingredients in my tea and I often experiment. But my morning cup has to be extra strong and so it has very little milk and sugar.

I love my chai to be mild and simple. While some people make their chai with just milk, I like to add a little bit of water. The few things that I always add are cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. I sometimes add an extra ingredient based on my mood and what's available in the fridge but cardamom, in my opinion, is indispensable. And truly feel that there is no chai without a biscuit.

I am very fond of drinking tea. A lot of people crave coffee when they wake up, I crave my cup of tea. In fact, I need this cup right in the morning so that I can give my day a fresh start. In winter, I like my tea with some adrak. If I have a sore throat, I even put in some black pepper. It always helps.

I am someone who needs to have a cup of tea right before starting my day. I am very fond of tea. I generally mix some tea masala which makes it even better.

I can simply say that my morning is incomplete without my cup of tea. No matter how sleepy I am, or how little have slept the previous night, a cup of strong tea and I am ready for the day. I just like milk and sugar in my tea, and nothing else.