
MASALA CHAI
India produces over 1.3 billion kilograms of tea annually. And the country consumes about 30% of the world’s tea production, making it the largest tea-drinking nation in the world.
However, in India, even the humble tea gets upgraded to “Masala Chai”.

It is rightly said that Tea is the cultural phenomenon in India and the Masala Chai is its flavorful ambassador. It is an exotic concoction of black tea and milk infused with fragrant spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
Recently, the Masala Chai was voted the 2nd best nonalcoholic beverage in the world by Taste Atlas. On my last visit to India, it was so refreshing to be offered a cup of Masala Chai 30,000 feet above sea level as we flew from Singapore to Mumbai.


- Carry a bottle of Activated Charcoal. These natural pills quickly neutralize poisons. It helps prevent poison and toxins from being absorbed from the stomach into the body. They offer peace of mind and are essential for any food traveler. It is available at your local chemist.
- Be careful with water. While travelling with us we will always stay in clean hotels that will have filtered water by the bedside. We will also always provide you with filtered water while in transit. But you can consider investing in a portable purifier bottle such as Grayl.
- Another substitute for Activated Charcoal is Colostrum. A product like Travelan works to target and neutralise the bacteria and the toxins they produce before they can make you sick and ruin your holiday plans. Even better, Travelan contains the natural ingredient bovine colostrum powder, harvested from New Zealand dairy cows.
- Drink lots of water and stay hydrated, especially during the day when India can get really hot.
- Carry a bottle of hand sanitizer in your travel pack and always keep it with you.
Malabar Prawns – Dry
Serves 2 portions
- 400g raw king prawns deveined and tail on – frozen or fresh
- 2 tsp Turmeric
- 3-4 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder – This type of Chilli powder is not very hot, but gives a beautiful red colour
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 40g Ginger half peeled and grated; half finely sliced into matchsticks
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4-5 curry leaves
- Salt as required
- 3-4 green chilies halved and deseeded
- 1 onion finely sliced
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 40g fresh coconut grated
- ½ small bunch coriander leaves
- Oil

- Rinse the prawns in cold water and pat dry. Marinate in the turmeric, chili powder, lemon juice and grated ginger and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a pan and add the curry leaves, chili, sliced ginger and onion. Cook until the onions are translucent, then add the black pepper.
- Add the prawns in with any leftover marinade, and stir-fry until cooked, about 2 mins.
- Add salt to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve sprinkled with the coconut and coriander leaves.