Ingredients
Amounts are for the recipe. Sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.
Amounts worked out from the other system are rounded.
Method
Toast, then crush hard. Dry-toast the whole spices for 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant. Then crush them properly: split every cardamom pod and crush the seeds inside, which is where the flavor is; snap the cinnamon; crack the cloves and pepper. Set aside half the cardamom. Grate the ginger.
Bloom in ghee. Heat the ghee (4.5 g1 tsp) in the pan, add the crushed spices and the grated ginger and sizzle 30 to 60 seconds, until aromatic. This is the key step: it releases the fat-soluble oils that boiling water can't reach.
Water and salt. Add the water (120 ml½ cup) and the pinch of salt. Boil hard for 3 minutes.
Brew. Add the tea (3 tsp) and hold a hard rolling boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until very dark.
Milk and sugar. Add the milk (480 ml2 cups), the cream if using, and the muscovado sugar (13–19 g1–1½ tbsp). Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring so the bottom doesn't catch.
Pull it. Let it rise into a foam, pull it off the heat just before it boils over, and return it. Repeat 4 or 5 times.
Reduce. Simmer low for 5 to 8 minutes, until mahogany and slightly thickened. Add the reserved cardamom for the last 2 minutes.
Steep off the heat. Turn off the heat, cover and rest 5 to 10 minutes.
Strain and froth. Strain through a fine sieve, pour from a height once or twice for froth, and rest 1 minute.
Notes
- If it is still bland. The ghee bloom is the biggest lever, so start there. Crush harder: whole or barely bruised cardamom pods give almost nothing. Steep longer off the heat, up to 10 minutes. Only then add more ginger and cardamom. Keep the cloves and pepper where they are; more makes it medicinal or hot, not more aromatic.
- Don't thin it toward equal parts water and milk. That just makes it watery.
- Muscovado gives most of jaggery's molasses depth with none of the risk of curdling.
- Half gallon. Get the balance right at this size first, then multiply everything by 4, with ¼ tsp salt. The reduction stretches to 12 to 18 minutes; use a pot of 5 quarts or more.