According to established traditions, it is not customary in Mongolia to serve tea to guests without milk. There are many modifications of the Mongolian milk drink "Suutei Tsai", which is usually consumed as a bite with meat and dough products. However, the recipe almost always includes the most important ingredients: brick green tea, flour, table salt and butter (fatty fat).
Mongolian tea: a simple recipe
Before preparing an original, hearty drink, prepare the base - a couple of glasses of milk. If there is a choice, then it can be not only cow, but also goat, mare, sheep, camel. For dressing suutei tsai you will need fatty fat, although it can be replaced with any interior, as well as ghee.
Measure out 2 cups of water and boil it in an enamel saucepan, then add the milk. Bring the contents to a boil again and place one teaspoon of tea in the hot base. Boil the drink over medium heat with constant stirring for 5 minutes.
Season the tea to taste. In Mongolia, it is not customary to use spices other than table salt for this drink, and modern Mongols sometimes do not even salt suutei tsai. However, if you wish, you can put sweet peas or (as in Kalmyk cuisine) nutmeg, lavrushka, cloves in the brew. Season the drink with fat (oil) fried with a handful of flour and strain the tea before drinking.
It is believed that Mongolian milk tea has a beneficial effect on the body. So, the drink strengthens the capillaries and helps the absorption of ascorbic acid. In the heat, it cools, and in the cold, it warms.
Variations in the preparation of Mongolian tea
In Mongolian cuisine, cereals and even dumplings - banshe are often added to tea. This allows you to create complete meals that can satisfy both thirst and hunger. To make tea with rice, pour a couple of tablespoons of tea powder or leaves with cold water (1 L) and put on fire. While the contents of the dish are boiling, fry a little flour and 0.5 cups of rice in fat. Pour 0.5 liters of milk into boiling water, add roast and boil Mongolian tea until the cereal is cooked. Add table salt to your taste before use.
One of the unusual dishes of Mongolian cuisine - "banshtai tsai" - in fact is not a drink, but a hearty soup. For him, it is recommended to make homemade lamb dumplings. Knead the firm (unsalted!) Dough in a glass of water and three glasses of flour. Let it rest while you cook the minced meat.
For the classic Mongolian drink, it is necessary to use brick varieties of the product from tea shoots and lower leaves, according to experienced chefs. As a last resort, let's say tiled or leafy green tea.
For the filling, chop the lamb very finely (350-400 g), a couple of onions and 1-2 garlic cloves. Stir the minced meat well, season with salt and caraway seeds to taste. Roll the kneaded dough into a sausage, cut into small identical circles and roll them into flat cakes. Place filling on each piece and secure the edges of each piece well.
Fry some flour and rice in fat, pour in the finished strained Mongolian tea (suutei tsai) and boil for 10 minutes. Add banshee as needed and cook until cooked through (about 15 minutes). This dish goes well with crackers and unleavened flat cakes.
