Ingredients
Tea
- 4 teaspoonsstrong black tea leaves
- a Ceylon blend if possible
- 1 litrewater
To serve
- sugar, plenty of it
- small glasses or cups
- a strainer
Sometimes added
- 2cardamom pods, crushed
- a slice of ginger
- a squeeze of lime
Eaten with
- hedhikaa, the short eats counter
- bajiya, gulha, keemia
- mas roshi
Directions
- Bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the tea leaves to a warmed pot. Pour the boiling water over them. Cooler water gives a thin flat brew.
- Pour it on the moment it boils. Steeping it takes a few minutes. Cover the pot and let it steep. Give it about four full minutes.
- Strain it off the leaves once it is ready. Do not leave the leaves sitting in it.
- Pour it through a fine strainer. Pour it into a warmed jug or flask. That stops it stewing on the leaves.
- Put sugar in the bottom of the glass. Use two spoonfuls of sugar or more. Pour the hot tea over the sugar.
- Stir it until the sugar dissolves. The glass is held by the rim when hot.
- Set out a plate of short eats. Take them by hand from the counter. It is drunk hot and quite quickly. Make it fresh again each time.
Technique
- Kalhu means black and sai means tea, so the name is simply black tea; tea with milk is kiru sai, and both are drunk though kalhu sai is the classic.
- Hedhikaa are the Maldivian short eats sitting on a tea shop counter for customers to take and be counted up at the end: bajiya pastry triangles, gulha fish balls, keemia tuna rolls and mas roshi flatbread, almost all of them containing tuna.
- Black tea wants genuinely boiling water, unlike green tea which it would scorch, and it must be strained off the leaves once ready, since over-steeping draws out tannins and turns it bitter.
Substitutions
- Any strong black Ceylon blend works, used as loose leaf rather than bags.
- Cardamom or ginger are added by some, though the plain version is standard.
Variations
- Kiru sai is the same tea taken with milk.
- Some shops add cardamom or a squeeze of lime.
- It is drunk through the afternoon with a counter of hedhikaa.
History
Maldivian tea shops build their whole trade on kalhu sai and a counter of hedhikaa savouries.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kalhu Sai?
Kalhu Sai is a drink from Maldives: strong black tea taken sweet, drunk with short eats in the afternoon. Maldivian tea shops build their whole trade on kalhu sai and a counter of hedhikaa savouries.
How long does Kalhu Sai take to make?
Kalhu Sai takes 5 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Kalhu Sai?
Yes, within limits. Any strong black Ceylon blend works, used as loose leaf rather than bags. Cardamom or ginger are added by some, though the plain version is standard.
What is the most important thing to get right in Kalhu Sai?
Strain it off the leaves once it is ready. Do not leave the leaves sitting in it.
