Imet my first chai brûlée at a friend’s place eight years ago. Adapted from an elaborate recipe by Suvir Saran (a chef who spearheaded the first Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in the US, Devi, and set up Veda in Delhi, only to leave its kitchens after a rumoured fallout with partner Rohit Bal). Ever since, I’ve looked at the recipe longingly before every dinner party, bought the ingredients — all 16 of them — read the instructions twice (plus one more time for good luck) and then promptly abandoned my masterpiece-in-the-making for a trudge to Mother Dairy.

But since my friend is now raising a baby and Suvir Saran, sheep and goats in Vermont, I took matters into my own hands recently. This time, I gave the standard crème brûlée — a mix of Rachel Allen’s ( >rachelallen.com ) and Ree Drummond’s ( >thepioneerwoman.com ) recipes — a spin with chai and elaichi to make a cheat’s version that works for me.

Cheat’s Chai Brûlée (Serves 10)

Ingredients

* 10 egg yolks

* About 90gm caster sugar

* 850-900ml double cream (I used the local fresh cream in tetrapacks, but you’re free to spend on good, expensive double cream)

* 4-5 pods of elaichi, bruised

* Tea to taste (about 5-6 tablespoon or teabags; I used a combination of Assam and Darjeeling tea)

Method

1. Whisk the egg yolks with caster sugar until the mixture looks pale and slightly thick. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Heat the cream, adding in the bruised elaichi, until the cream is just about to boil. Remove from heat and let the tea steep until the cream changes colour. While the cream is still hot, start by adding it, one tablespoon at a time through a sieve (if using loose tea), into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in the entire lot. If there’s any froth on the surface, skim it. I gave up after a point though.

3. Pour the mixture into ramekins or espresso cups (the latter looks more dramatic). Place the cups in a water-bath — till the water is halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake for 30 minutes or until set.

4. Cool, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

5. Before serving, sprinkle some sugar over each, spreading it out evenly and use a blowtorch to caramelise it or put it under a hot grill in the oven for a maximum of one minute. I don’t have a blowtorch and I wasn’t confident about the grill either, so I let it be, which as it turns out is a good thing. This way, if you don’t caramelise the sugar crust like a proper brûlée, it should keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.

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