It boils down to…chai

Food consultant Marut Sikka brews a new winter experience

For someone used to spotless kitchens and swank TV studios, Marut Sikka was unusually at ease, selling tea on a roadside cart, near his office in south Delhi. For the acclaimed food consultant, the experience was “humbling”, something that helped him remember the “harsher realities of life”.

None of these profundities for the crowd that gathered, though. For some, the sight of a babu turning tea vendor was an amusing one while the others were so intimidated that they refused to sip the privilege, despite earnest invitations from the man himself.

Fun started on a hot Thursday afternoon when an impeccably dressed Marut, down to his polished black leather shoes gleaming in the sun, sportingly agreed to take over from his neighbourhood tea vendor for an hour. As onlookers, including some of Sikka’s staff members “who have been laughing at the prospect of me turning a chaiwala”, watched, Sikka got on to business with confidence.

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The food enthusiast knows to make more than 20 kinds of tea but the limited resources on the cart did not offer much scope for experimentation. Not that Sikka minded. “When in office, this is where I have my tea from. Actually, I like the tea kaka makes,” he said, attributing 70 per cent of his R&D on food to streetside food joints and vendors.

After gathering the basics — tea leaves, sugar, cardamom and milk — Sikka set the water to boil. As everyone waited, he started on his love for Chinese jasmine tea and light Darjeeling tea and how he made morning tea for family on holidays. “I love cooking in general but what I enjoy most is cooking Oriental cuisine,” he said.

For all the stories told and retold, the water had not yet boiled. An otherwise cheerful Sikka started growing slightly impatient. ‘‘If this cart actually belonged to me, I would change the stove. Kaka, how much time do you keep your customers waiting?’’ he asked the tea vendor who was not very pleased about his celebrity client turning rival.

Finally, the tea was ready. Well, almost. One look at it and Sikka decided it was too strong for his liking. So in went a little more milk. Simmer and then tea was served in clean, little China cups. And the public verdict? “I have tea from kaka everyday but this one is lighter and more refreshing,” said Arshad, a local resident. Kaka was visibly upset. “It is not as nice as the one I make,” he assured us, much to the amusement of everyone, including Sikka.