Irani Chai (Hyderabadi Café Tea with Condensed Milk)
ایرانی چائے (حیدرآبادی کیفے کی کنڈینسڈ ملک والی چائے)
Irani chai was brought to India by Persian immigrants who opened cafés in Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai in the early 1900s. It's made differently from ordinary chai: a strong tea decoction is brewed and kept warm on , while milk is slowly reduced with condensed milk until thick and creamy. The two are mixed in the cup. The result is smooth, rich and sweet, and in Hyderabad it's always served with crumbly, slightly salty Osmania biscuits.
- ⏱ Total: 30 min
- Prep: 5 min
- Cook: 25 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Boil the water with the tea, sugar and cardamom for 2 minutes. Cover tightly, turn the heat to the lowest setting and let it brew on dum for 15–20 minutes into a strong, dark decoction.
In another pan, simmer the milk with the condensed milk and milk powder for 10–15 minutes, stirring, until slightly thickened and creamy.
Strain the tea decoction. Pour about one-third decoction and two-thirds hot milk into each cup and stir. Serve hot with Osmania biscuits.
Kitchen notes
The long dum brew is what gives Irani chai its strength without the bitterness of over-boiling.
Adjust the ratio of decoction to milk to make it stronger or creamier.
Osmania biscuits can be replaced with any butter biscuit or nankhatai.
The Irani cafés
In the early 20th century, Zoroastrian and Muslim immigrants from Iran settled in Indian cities and opened cafés with marble-topped tables, bentwood chairs and big glass jars of biscuits. In Hyderabad these cafés became meeting places for students, poets and politicians, and their chai became a city icon. Many still exist in the old city.
Two pots, one cup
The secret is brewing tea and milk separately. The tea is boiled briefly and then left to brew slowly on the lowest heat with the lid on, which extracts colour and strength without harsh bitterness. The milk is reduced with condensed milk until it’s rich and slightly sweet.
Osmania biscuits
The classic pairing is the Osmania biscuit, named after Hyderabad’s last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan: a buttery, crumbly biscuit with a touch of salt that you dunk in the chai.
Serving
Serve hot in small cups with biscuits or nankhatai. For another rich, café-style tea, try Gulf karak chai, or Pakistan’s doodh patti.
Questions people ask
How is Irani chai different from doodh patti?
Doodh patti boils tea leaves directly in milk. Irani chai brews the tea separately on dum and mixes it with milk that's been thickened with condensed milk.
Is it the same as Persian tea?
No. Tea in Iran is usually drunk black. Irani chai is an Indian café creation by Iranian immigrants.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 160
- Protein
- 6 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
