作法
- 厚底鍋中混合水、拍碎的薑、拍開的小荳蔻、肉桂、丁香與胡椒粒。大滾煮5分鐘——香料應深入水中，廚房瀰漫小荳蔻香。
- 加入散茶葉。大火煮90秒——印度奶茶用煮，不是泡，這能萃出更多單寧並產生招牌濃黑底。
- 倒入牛奶。再煮至大滾。奶茶會戲劇性升起；快溢出時立即離火，再回火30秒。重複這個升降三次——技法稱為fataka，能建立濃郁與綿密。
- 加糖攪拌至溶解。試味——應強烈辛辣、奶味重、甜。這裡軟弱會毀掉這杯飲品；奶茶不該細膩。
- 用細濾網過濾入玻璃杯或小陶杯（舊德里稱kullhads）。殘渣應是濕茶葉與用盡香料堆。
- 立即配一片甜餅或脆餅沾用。應趁熱小口喝，談話應隨它降溫而放慢。
Common questions
Can 印度香料奶茶 be made ahead?
印度香料奶茶 is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 12 minutes.
Is 印度香料奶茶 spicy?
印度香料奶茶 as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is 印度香料奶茶 vegetarian or gluten-free?
印度香料奶茶 is suitable for vegetarian (and vegan if dairy is omitted) diets.
How hard is 印度香料奶茶 to make at home?
印度香料奶茶 is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 17 minutes, no special technique required.
Can 印度香料奶茶 be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
文化背景
英國引入的紅茶於1830年代在印度生根；香料奶茶混合則更古老，源自阿育吠陀藥草kashayam——香料水的助消化飲品。兩者融合是二十世紀。街邊賣茶人從茶壺到杯子三尺高的傾倒既是表演也降溫並充氧。印度各地香料配方傾向不同：孟買加大量胡椒、德里偏好小荳蔻、喀什米爾用茴香與肉桂。糖量不可妥協；無糖的奶茶不是奶茶，是禮貌建議。
