Happy Mother’s Day !

Dear Tea Lovers,

This blog is going to be more on philosophical side, than the usual stuff about Tea. In our daily hustle and bustle of Life, we fail to acknowledge the most basic things or people that are around us. In India or probably around the World, people have always placed Doctors next to God. Amidst these we forget that after God, also comes a MOTHER ~ Your Actual LIFE GIVER. It is no less than a miracle of how a LIFE IS BORN OUT OF A LIFE. The pain that a woman endures during the delivery of a child is believed to be 9 times more than the maximum threshold of pain that any human body can bear. Is this less than a miracle ?

In Honor of Motherhood, every 2nd Sunday of May is celebrated as Mothers Day. A day when all the Mothers, Mother-in-laws, Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, Great Great Grand Mothers are honored, appreciated & acknowledged in every small and big way.

The 20th Century is witnessing an era of SUPER MOMS where a woman is a perfect mother, a perfect wife, a perfect employee and a perfect boss.  JIVRAJ TEA LTD. salutes & wishes all the Lovely Beautiful Amazing Mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day.

It is truly said that ‘THE HANDS THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, RULES THE WORLD’. It is from a poem by William Ross Wallace that celebrates Motherhood and the concept that what a person becomes in their life starts with what they learn from their mother and that ultimately, it is mothers that have the greatest influence on what we are or become.

CELEBRATING MOTHERHOOD ON THIS BEAUTIFUL MOTHER’S DAY.

THE BEST MOTHER’S DAY GIFT !

MOTHERS ARE CHARMING,
THEIR FOOD IS ENCHANTING,
& THEIR LOVE IS EVERLASTING.

LOVE MOM COOKIES

A Small gesture from your end is enough to make your mom love you more than ever. But why not take an extra step for this special day

>> BAKE LOVE MOM COOKIES <<

INGREDIENTS :

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted Butter, softened
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 1 large Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• Decorating icing
• Various Food Colors

• Special Equipment: 2- to 3-inch alphabet cookie cutters; several sealable plastic bags (not pleated)

PREPARATION METHOD :

• Whisk together flour and salt in a small bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 minutes with a handheld, then beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
• Form dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 6-inch disk. Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) into an 81/2-inch round (1/4 inch thick) on a well-floured surface with a well-floured rolling pin. (If dough becomes too soft to roll out, rewrap in plastic and chill until firm.) Cut out as many cookies as possible from dough with cutters and transfer to 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging about 1 inch apart.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely.
• Gather scraps and chill until dough is firm enough to reroll, 10 to 15 minutes. Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (reroll only once) in same manner on cooled baking sheets.
• For each color (you can make up to 7), transfer 1/4 cup icing to a separate small bowl and tint with food coloring. Snip off 1 corner of each plastic bag to create a 1/4-inch opening, then spoon each color icing into a bag, pressing out excess air. Twist each bag firmly just above icing, then decoratively pipe (or spread) colored icing onto cookies. Let icing dry completely (about 1 hour, depending on humidity) before storing cookies.

Looking out for a simpler way to wish her ? Just BREW the first CUP OF MORNING TEA for her  Simple as that

Keep having a TEAlicious time my Tea Lovers.

Happy Mother’s Day !!!

Check out the amazing ONLINE BUYING SPECIAL MOTHER’S DAY PREMIUM COMBO OFFER on our website WWW.J9TEA.COM . Gift your Mother a cupful of Wellness on this mother’s day.

Tag your mother in the fabulous Mothers Day Album of Jivraj Tea Ltd. on Facebook on our official JIVRAJ TEA LTD. PAGE.

Indian Chai – The Winning Flavor

Chai ~ More than a mere Beverage… Its a TRADITION.

For all my dear Tea Lovers,

India can be defined as a country consisting of different Religions & over more than 400 languages. The 1 Ribbon that ties these Billions of Indians, is a cup of Masala Chai.

In India, the morning starts with a cup of steaming chai, afternoon break is the time to recharge & get refreshed with a cup of Tea & Evenings are simply incomplete with an extra doze of Tea. Thus, Tea is more of a Tradition in India. Circumstances or Time are totally irrelevant for this magical Beverage. The Tea simply flows

You will find ‘KITLI CULTURE’ in India, where Tea is served on small hand driven Lorries, in mud pots called ‘KULLAD’ or Small Glasses called ‘CUTTING CHAI’.  The favorite snacks to go along with the steaming Chai are ‘MUSKA BUN’ (Butter Bread) and ‘NAMKEEN’ (Spicy Snacks). Yet the all time favorite are our very  own PARLE-G Glucose Biscuits which are to a must to dunk in your Masala Chai

I came across some beautiful pictures of typical Chai ki Kitli, through www.chaikidukaan.com.

KITLI KI CHAI

Indian Chaiwalla

CUTTING CHAI

Masal Chai with Parle-G Biscuits

DO NOT LEAVE HOPE - JIVRAJ TEA LTD.

For now, this was all about the Magical Indian Tea. Shall see you soon with some more facts about Indian Tea. till than keep having a TEAlicious time

TEA RINGS >> M Hooked to TEA :)

Hey TEA Lovers,

The one thing that we share for sure, is our Passion and Love for TEA. And when you start exploring the World of TEA, it can surely take you by surprise. It was a funny incident that i encountered. I was surfing through the internet for a Ring which has a Cup of Tea or a Kettle on it. Thus, my Search Term was ‘ TEA RINGS ‘. What i expected, was something like these pictures below :

Tea Kettle Ring with a couple of Cherries

Tea Cup Ring with a couple of Cherries

These Tea Rings would be a great Gift to a TEA LOVER. But my search did not end here. What i came across was something that i hadn’t seen or EATEN in the surroundings where i live. I saw ‘ TEA RING RECIPES ‘. They totally mesmerized me and made me think “How on Earth have i not tasted these before ? “. Thus, I decided to cook them myself and of course share the magical Recipe with you Tea Lovers.

Recipe for Swedish TEA RINGS . Lets get Hooked to TEA

Preparation time : 25 Mins. + Rising, Bake : 20 Mins. + Cooling

Servings : 24

Ingredients :

• 1 tablespoon active Dry Yeast
• 1-1/2 cups warm Water (110° to 115°)
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil
  
• 2 Egg Whites, lightly beaten
• 1-1/4 teaspoons Salt
• 5-1/2 to 6 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped Maraschino Cherries, patted dry
• 1/4 cup packed Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons Butter, melted
  

Icing :

• 1 cup Confectioners’ Sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fat-free Milk

Directions :

Start off with a large Bowl by dissolving Yeast in warm Water. Now add the Sugar, Oil, the beaten Egg Whites, Salt and 1 cup All-Purpose Flour; beat up all the ingredients until Smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a Soft Dough.
Turn onto a lightly Floured surface; knead until smooth, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a bowl coated with Cooking Spray, turning once to coat the top. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Artistically making Cuts in the TEA RING

Combine the Walnuts, Maraschino Cherries, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon; set them aside. Punch the Dough down; roll into an 18-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Brush with Butter; sprinkle with the Nut mixture that we just prepared to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up the Dough in  Jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch Seam to Seal.
Place seam side down on a 14-in. pizza pan coated with Cooking Spray; pinch ends together to form a Ring. With Scissors, cut from outside edge two-thirds of the way toward center of ring at scant 1-in. intervals. Separate strips slightly; twist to allow filling to show. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

The TEA RING ready to go into the Oven

Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until Golden Brown. Remove from pan to a Wire Rack to cool.
Combine the icing ingredients; drizzle over Tea Ring. 

Icing on the TEA RING

Yield: 1 ring (24 slices).

Relish your TEA RINGS along with a Cuppa of HOT JIVRAJ 9 TEA

TEA RING ready to be gobbled away !

So when are you going to try your Own TEA RING ? Tea Rings are also made with different fillings like Apricots, different Fruits etc. The various names of TEA RINGS that you will come across are English Tea Ring, French Tea Ring, Apricots Tea Ring and many more.

Cherries peeping out through TEA RING

It was glad sharing the yummy Recipe with you dear Tea Lovers. Start to COOK – BAKE – SIP

As i always say keep having a TEAlicious time   ~ JIVRAJ TEA LTD.

TAIYAKI and TEA – A Japanese Tale

Hello Tea Lovers,

Hope you are having a great TEA time. I have discovered something NEW (atleast for me), on my journey of exploring different types of Tea and Snacks that the World is enjoying. And here is where i share it with you. As we know Tea boasts of its existence in the pages of history for almost 5000 years now. Over the years people have learnt about consuming this magical plant in different ways. The Traditions and Customs have also been Knitted by different Tea consuming countries, which revolve around TEA.

I came across a Japanese Tale which introduced me to the custom of having TAIYAKI and Green Tea. Taiyaki is a Japanese Fish shaped cake. It is said that Taiyaki was first baked by a sweet shop Naniwaya in Azabu, Tokyo in 1909. Today you can find Taiyaki, all over Japan, specially in its Supermarkets and Food Festivals.

Mini Taiyaki and Green Tea as served in Tokyo

Taiyaki is a fishe shaped filled pancake but ironically it does not have anything to do with Fish. I do wonder what is the significance of fish shape. Do enlighten me if you know.   It tastes wonders with TEA.

Well, how do you make one ? So here it is :

Taiyaki is made from the regular Pancake or Waffle Batter. The traditional filling is that of Anko and Pasta. Anko is sweet azuki (Red Beans) paste which is often used to make Japanese sweets. Some People do make it interesting by changing the filling to Chocolate, Cheese and Custard. Yummmm….

A female making Taiyaki with different Fillings. Yummm !!!

I would like to share with you, The Recipe of Taiyaki with Anko filling

The Recipe for Anko :

Ingredients:

• Red Beans 1+1/2 cups (300 grams)
• Sugar 1+1/2 cups (300 grams)
• Salt 1/2 teaspoon

METHOD :
Rinse the beans in a colander. Place them in a large bowl with a plenty of water to cover the beans. Let them soak for 3 to 8 hours.

Instructions:

(1) Drain and place the beans in a deep pot with a plenty of water to cover the Beans. Bring it to a boil. You will see a lot of foams forming on the surface. Put the beans in a colander and rinse them well with running water to remove foams. Clean the pot and fill with fresh water, place the beans back in a pot and bring it to a boil.

(2) Repeat step (1). This time after rinsing the Beans, add 1300cc water( 5 + 2/3 cups) and bring it to a boil again. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the beans become so tender that you can break it with your tongue. (Be careful not to burn your tongue.) Add a little water as necessary. Stir more frequently toward the end.

(3) When the beans are completely soft add 1+1/2 cups (300 grams) Sugar and 1/2 teaspoon Salt. Simmer at low without a lid, stirring very frequently until the mixture becomes somewhat thick.

Anko – The sweet Red Beans Paste

And now, Here I Present to you the Recipe of TAIYAKI with Anko filling :

The simple TAIYAKI Mold

The Electrical Taiyaki Mold

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup Flour
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 2 1/2 Tbs. Cornstarch
• 3 Tbs. Water
• 3 Large Eggs, room temperature
• 2 Tbs. Honey (optional)
• 1 1/2 Cup Anko, room temperature
• Some Brewed J9 PREMIUM GREEN TEA to go with your Taiyaki

Sift together the Flour, Baking Powder, and Cornstarch and  Set them aside.

Beat together the Eggs, Honey, if using, and Sugar till frothy and to it add the Flour mixture and Water. Whip till smooth.

Preheat a Taiyaki-ki and brush it/ Greece it lightly with oil. Pour in a small amount of batter to the preheated pan, add a tablespoon of anko and more batter as necessary to fill in the details. Close and latch the pan.

Turn the heat to medium low and cook about 30 seconds then turn the pan over. Heat evenly for a minute and turn again. Repeat. The taiyaki are done when you can easily open the iron and the taiyaki are a golden brown, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately with Green Tea. Makes about 12 Taiyaki.

Taiyaki – The Perfect Japanese Sweet

TAIYAKI ON YOUR FINGERS

A Family gathering or a small get together with Friends serves the perfect occasion of serving the Best Green Tea with Taiyaki. Show off your skills in Japanese Cuisine

Hey Friends, do share with me all the interesting TEA Traditions you come across. It is always great to learn something new about this Magical Plant which just denies to fade away with passing time. I simply adore my TEA. Don’t You ?

Keep having a TEAlicious Time Friends.

P. S : You can Share with me your Recipes and Pictures of your TAIYAKI or any such wonderful Snacks that you make only on my website WWW.J9TEA.COM.

Barley – Not just for Beer but also for TEA

Hello Tea Lovers,

Once again i have brought for you something new about TEA. Here we are going to discuss about a cereal grain ‘Barley’.

It makes Beer & Tea

Barley, i always thought was used only as a key ingredient for manufacturing Beer and Whisky. But someone enlightened me about a beverage called ‘Barley Tea‘. Well, as you guessed it. I just HAD to try it. This tea is orange in color with a mellow taste and a light earthy flavor.

In fact it’s the tea of choice for many Koreans and is also popular in Japan.  In Korea, this tea is usually served cold as a refreshing summer beverage, whereas it can be obtained all year round in Japan where it is enjoyed either hot or cold. The main difference is that in Korea the whole barley (with the hull) is usually roasted for the tea and sometimes roasted corn infusion is added. This is because barley has a slight bitter flavor and the corn gives the drink some sweetness to offset the bitterness.

People rarely sit down and think about having a nice cup of barley tea. They should, however, because of the innumerable health benefits that barley tea boasts. Please follow the link to know more about this wonderful beverage.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BARLEY TEA

Another way to make barley tea is from scratch, roasting the barley in the oven or in a skillet and then boiling it and straining it. This takes more time to prepare, but it can be turned into iced tea without steeping for more than a few minutes.

Mugicha is available in Japan in single serving size cans. It can be found in machines that are like soft drink machines. It beats colas and un-colas hands down for quenching thirst. It is also better for teeth, since it won’t cause cavities, and better for weight control, since it has no Calories.

RECIPE TO MAKE YUMMY BARLEY TEA

So if you want something special for yourself or your Family or guests, try sampling some Barley Tea.  It has a great flavor and is full of health benefits.

Try out and let me know whether you liked it or not. Keep having a TEAlicious time.

Indian Mango Bubble Tea

Jivraj Tea Ltd. is a tea manufacturing Company based in India. Thus, i thought that my blog can be a great way to convey all the lovely people out there, some unique traditions of my country.

The present season that India is experiencing is Summers. The hot and dry weather is capable of melting you and your energy. Yet there is something about this unique weather that makes us look forward to it. Well, it’s MANGOES.

Irresistable Juicy Mango Cubes !!!

India is a TEA crazy as well as MANGO crazy nation. You will find all kinds of mouth watering  Recipes where Mango shall be an essential ingredient in the palate. These Indian platters are truly a feast to your Taste Buds. I have brought for you one such Recipe.

A yummy Mango Bubble Tea Recipe:

yummy Mango Bubble Tea

Ingredients :

• 1 Ripe Mango, chopped
• 1 cup low-fat Milk
• ½ cup Water
• ½ cup Tapioca Pearls (Sabudana)
• 2 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 JIVRAJ 9 TEABAG
• Honey, for taste

Procedure :

Firstly, cook the Tapioca Pearls accordingly. Also, you are able to boil 3 cups of water, add the pearls in, stir it, then cook for about 30 minutes. Place a lid over the pot while the Tapioca Pearls are boiling. Once they turn plump and soft, leave it in the pot 30 minutes. Later, scoop all the pearls out and place them in a clean bowl. Pour couple of tablespoons of water from the pot itself. Now add 1 tablespoon of sugar and honey. Mix everything completely. To prepare the Tea, take one cup boiling water and steep the JIVRAJ 9 Tea Bag for 10 minutes. Place the prepared tea in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill. The Sugar and Honey will keep the Tapioca Pearls soft till you have to use them. In a blender, add in mango chunks, low-fat milk, water (depending on how diluted you want the tea to be), and sugar. Blend the liquids till it turns into a smooth consistency. Mix the mango blend with the tea and the Tapioca Pearls. Your Mango Bubble Tea is ready to play around in your mouth

Hope you enjoyed reading our Blog. Keep drinking TEA.

Shall see you soon. Till then have a Tea-licious time.

Jivraj 9 Tea, Sangharsh Ka Saathi !

Our TEA is Brewing on FACEBOOK – LIKE US

Hey TeaLovers,

You will find our Tea Pot on Facebook as well. LIKE US and know more about this magical Beverage – TEA.

Our Facebook Page will open doors to the TEA WORLD. You will find Cool Products for Tea Drinkers, Yummy Recipes, Interesting Tea Articles and much much more.

OUR TEA IS BREWING ON FACEBOOK. LIKE US

LIKE US at TEA, CHAI, CHA on Facebook.

Keep Drinking TEA !!!