Tea & Me - Interesting Snacks to Go Along With

Bhel Puri By Nandita Amin

Chaat By Nandita Amin

Though tea is routinely consumed in India by a large populace few enjoy snacking with it the way it should be. Most of the time the beverage is just gushed down the phagus line to deliver. I think we have an interesting line of snacks that can make the routine consumption of tea into a ritualistic fervor and a gastronomic delight. 

Poha Jelebi By Rashi

Some of the common snacks in the country are the samosa, bhajiyas, pakoras and chevda. The imagination hardly runs beyond these commoners. Hence I am on a spurge of discovery as to what repertoire of finger foods will offer a creative binge to tea time.     

I remember how much we used to relish Gujarati Bhakri with Fresh White Butter in our younger days. The cook is no more and the butter has turned yellow.   

My proclivity is definitely towards Gujju snacks being one myself. Hence Fadfa Jalebi is another good accompaniment available mostly in Gujarati towns but it is slowly creeping elsewhere thanks to migratory Gujju populace. I once had cabbage pakoras a specialty of a border township at Nepal border in Lakhimpur Kehri in UP not forgetting Mirchi Pakoras near Sitapur which delivered no biting hot singe but a gently flavor. 

Dhokras and Khakras are very popular all over India and I love them along with tea. Dry Phulkis are my recent favorite thanks to innovation at Courtyard House in Kanha. The mashed potatoes, boiled chick peas and spices are added inside with topping of tomato sauce. All this to avoid water for Firangees. This also goes down well with sun downers. 

Bhel Puri and Pani Puri, infact all chaat items do not go well with at all. Sweet based snacks do not gel well not at least for real tea drinkers. One exception is Jelebi which by necessity is a breakfast item.

Simple bread and butter or cheese seandwich goes well with black tea but loaded sandwiches, cutlets and aloo parathe uh! oh!

Snacks with Subtle Salty Flavor are ideal as tea accompaniment.

Chai Samosa

Dhokla by Nandita Amin

Ginger Tea

Tea & Gujju Accompaniments

The best way to have tea is to drink it with some yummy snacks well many do. There are some traditional goodies that go down with this wonderful beverage in India.  The most common is the standard gota, bhajia, chewda, sev, and biscuits which go well during the evening tea session.  

A more generous savory would be the Indian Samosa which is very popular in North and Central India. Aloo Bonda is another savory that goes well along with the chai. The main ingredient in both the accompaniments is Aloo or potato which is mixed with lot of spices. The Samosa mix is then enclosed in a pancake shaped triangular by hand and then deep fried.  Aloo Bonda mix is dipped in a gram batter, shaped into round balls and deep fried.

People with western taste prefer cookies and cup cakes with this brew. But nothing beats the traditional Sev or Chiwda which is available everywhere and is ready to eat.  My personal preference is Samosa from chosen roadside stalls. This is one of the yummiest snack food available in India that beats its western counterparts like burger and pizza hands down. In Gujarat a type of samosa invented is flat crisp and small. They are  stuffed with lentils, potatoes etc and served with different types of chutneys. These are also known as Navtal ke Samosa they work well with tea.      

For those with desire to stomach something heavier then Aloo Paratha and or Bhakri with white butter is best during the breakfast. Sandwiches also go down well with the breakfast chai but nothing beats the two described here. Gujaratis have mastered the art of making different types of Indian breads right from Kakhara, Dhebra, Bazre Ka Rotla and many more, these are excellent accompaniments. Another yummy that goes down well is the Dhokla or its variant the Khaman. Methi na Gota and Handwo are a treat for snack lovers.   

Gujarati cuisine is one of the most varied in the World. Traditionally bent towards vegetarian, the number of snack foods are astounding. The Gujjus have stomach for light food but some dishes can bend you over. 

Hot tea snacks

Not every bite goes down well with a cup of tea. What goes well an experienced tea lover knows.

Tea is seldom to be consumed alone except when in for anytime brew to fight cold or just to get that shot that cheers. Else organized sessions which are mostly morning and evening but for some could be at any other time of the day.

While having tea as a daily routine in organized sessions one should always consume light snacks along. This is for two reason to maintain a healthy diet structure and to reduce the possible increase in stomach acidity levels.

Best accompaniments for a party are light snacks which are not heavily spiced and sweets like cakes and pastries which are not soaked in sugar. In India the most popular accompaniments are chiwada, fried peanuts, sev, samosas and ubiquitous pakoras. Seldom is tea consumed along with a heavy meals though there are lovers whom I have seen having hot strong black tea with lunch and dinner.

The food switches drastically in English tea rooms where the offerings are light sandwich or cookies and cakes. The leaf favored is not the usual black leaf but expensive Darjeeling tea leaf. This leaf is highly aromatic and very subtle in taste with lighter color than other black teas.