Amid biting chill, Amul butter tea adds tadka to winter in holy city Amritsar

Neha Saini

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Amritsar, January 17

Connoisseurs of tea take their morning cuppa seriously as it is not just a habit, but a ritual that leaves little room for innovation. So, whenever tea with a twist is served, it is bound to stir some emotions, just like the viral video of Vijay Tea Stall owner preparing the Amul butter tea did. The small tea stall owner from Amritsar has sparked an online debate with his unique concoction of butter tea that Amritsaris know as ‘Tadka chai’. Just as any other dish served in Punjab’s food capital comes with a history, this tadka butter chai comes with a dash of history with dollops of butter.

A popular tea stall located at Ashoka Chowk, Vijay Tea Stall was set up in 1945, but its butter tea is being served for the past three decades. Simple in appearance but rich in flavour, the tea has attracted several food bloggers and connoisseurs to this humble tea stall, thanks to its unique recipe. The tea is prepared using usual ingredients like tea leaves, milk and jaggery or sugar, later topped with a mix of dry fruits, rose petals and poppy seeds tempered (tadka) in butter. The ingredients might confuse you but the preparation derives its influence from Kashmiri kahwa, noon tea and Tibetan butter tea. The ingredients differ as per your choice, including nutmeg, black pepper and usual spices used in masala tea.

The butter tadka tea at Vijay Tea Stall is priced at Rs 150 for a single cup. This unique tea is specially served in winters.

While the butter tea from Amritsar has stirred up an online debate among tea lovers, the concept is definitely not new or bizarre.