Chai is the Hindi word for tea. Chai is an emotion for most Indian people. A cup of hot masala chai can be so comforting and cures almost anything- from a bad day to a headache 😊. Chai and biscuit are a classic combination. And it cannot be any biscuit, must be the beloved Parle G biscuit. Most Indians can relate to eating whole packs of Parle G biscuits by dipping them in hot cups of tea. And if the tea is too hot the biscuit will melt and fall at the bottom of the cup, which you get to at the end with a spoon. This recipe for Chai Biscuit pudding takes inspiration from those carefree memories of my childhood chai biscuit days.
For this recipe of Chai Biscuit pudding, we are first brewing some strong-flavored black tea. The tea concoction is then transformed into a creamy pudding. The pudding is set in small dainty teacups that are layered with Parle G biscuits. It is just like sipping on masala tea with some biscuits, just in dessert form.
Surprise your evening guests by serving them these cute Chai biscuit pudding cups, but of course, give them some extra chai on the side if they wish!
Ingredients to make Chai Biscuit Pudding
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 6 tablespoons Sugar
- 3 tablespoons Black tea leaves (loose)
- 3-4 cardamom pods
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Agar Agar powder (in powder form)
- 10 Parle G Biscuits
Step by Step guide to make Chai Biscuit Pudding recipe
- To make Kadak Chai – Add Whole Milk, loose black tea leaves, and crushed cardamom pods to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat once it comes to a boil. Using a tea strainer strain the tea in a bowl and discard the tea leaves and cardamom pods.
- Mix in the sugar to the hot tea. Let the tea come to room temperature before you proceed further. You can place the tea bowl in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
- Prepare your serving cups by placing 2 small biscuits and layering it in the cups. This quantity should make 5 large and 10 small serving cups.
- Once the tea is at room temperature or cold transfer the tea to a saucepan. Add heavy cream, cornstarch, and agar agar powder to the tea and mix well.
- Now put the saucepan on medium heat on the stovetop. Heat the mixture while stirring constantly. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat. The mix should have thickened a bit and should coat the back of a spoon.
- Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared serving containers. Make sure that you only pour enough so the biscuits peek out partially. Let it cool at room temperature for half an hour and then place it in the refrigerator to cool completely for 4-5 hours.
Use of Agar Agar to make this pudding recipe
I have to be honest with you here, I was absolutely terrified of using agar-agar to make vegetarian puddings. Agar-Agar or agar is a vegetarian gelatin substitute that is produced from seaweed vegetation. I experimented for 2 years off and on to get the proportions and cooking technique right and now I feel like I have a grip on how I can use agar agar to create vegan/vegetarian gelatinous dessert.
Here are some key takeaways for me that I learned:
All the recipes I came across were using a lot of agar agar. It created a very hard pudding for me that did not have a good mouth feel. I significantly reduced the agar agar quantity in the recipes and added some cornstarch/custard powder. Corn starch/custard powder also helps thicken the puddings.
It is very important that the agar-agar powder melts completely before we set the pudding or the pudding will have a grainy mouth feel. For that, I mix all the ingredients off the heat and then bring it to a boil almost stirring constantly. Do not boil the pudding more than that.
Please note that I have used agar powder in the recipe and not agar flakes. Agar powder is easily available on Amazon or health food stores. Agar flakes may have a different proportion.
Recipe tips to make this unique eggless pudding recipe
- I have used cardamom here, but you can use your choice of flavorings to flavor your tea. Some other good options are- ginger stem, cinnamon or use prepared chai masala that is a mix of spices.
- If you do not have loose tea, you can use black tea bags to make tea. Tea bags are not as strong as loose leaf tea so use 5 tea bags for this quantity.
- It is important to let the tea cool down completely at room temperature or cold before adding in the agar agar powder and cornstarch. If not, the agar agar will seize and not dissolve properly.
- It is also important to pour the pudding in the serving cups immediately after it cooks and comes to a boil. Keep the cups ready and pour the hot mixture in the cups. This will give a clean look to the pudding. If you wait longer, the pudding will start to set and will not give a clean look.
FAQs- Chai Biscuit Pudding
Parle G AND Chai are an iconic combination for most Indians so I have used it in this recipe. However, you can replace Parle G with your choice of biscuit/cookies that you enjoy with your tea.
It is possible to make this recipe vegan with a few substitutions. I have used Parle G here which is not a vegan cookie. To make this recipe vegan, use a vegan cookie, any plant based milk and coconut cream. Note that the taste will be different but still very delicious with all the chai flavors.
There is always leftover chai after you have people over. But now there is no reason to discard that chai. Refrigerate it for up to a day till ready to make the pudding. Since most chai recipes are made with water and milk and we want out pudding to taste rich, use 1 ½ cups of leftover chai and increase the quantity of heavy cream to ¾ cup. If the chai was sweetened, adjust the sweetness according to taste.
Other Easy Pudding Recipes to try
Recipe Card – Chai Biscuit Pudding
Chai Biscuit Pudding
Discover the magic of Chai Biscuit Pudding with our step-by-step recipe. Immerse yourself in the process of brewing robust kadak chai, infusing it with the goodness of whole milk, cardamom, and a touch of sweetness. Layered with Parle G biscuits, this dessert promises a textural symphony. Dive into a creamy concoction of chai-infused custard, heightened by the perfect blend of heavy cream, cornstarch, and agar agar powder. Quick to prepare, this pudding is a celebration of simplicity and flavor. Try it now for a dessert that’s both comforting and indulgent.
5
servings30
minutes20
minutesIngredients
2 cups Whole Milk
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
6 tablespoons White Sugar
3 tablespoons Black tea leaves (loose)
3-4 pods Cardamom
2 tablespoons Cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon Agar agar (in powder form)
10 Parle G Biscuits
Method
- To make Kadak Chai– Add Whole Milk, loose black tea leaves and crushed cardamom pods to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat once it comes to a boil. Using a tea strainer strain the tea in a bowl and discard the tea leaves and cardamom pods.
- Mix in the sugar to the hot tea. Let the tea come to room temperature before you proceed further. You can place the tea bowl in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
- Prepare your serving cups by placing 2 small biscuits and layering it in the cups. This quantity should make 5 large and 10 small serving cups.
- Once the tea is at room temperature or cold transfer the tea to a saucepan. Add heavy cream, cornstarch and agar agar powder to the tea and mix well.
- Now put the saucepan on medium heat on the stovetop. Heat the mixture while stirring constantly. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat. The mix should have thickened a bit and should coat the back of a spoon.
- Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared serving containers. Make sure that you only pour enough so the biscuits peek out partially. Let it cool at room temperature for half an hour and then place in the refrigerator to cool completely for 4-5 hours.
Tips
- I have used cardamom here, but you can use your choice of flavorings to flavor your tea. Some other good options are – ginger stems, cinnamon, or prepared chai masala which is a mix of spices.
- If you do not have loose tea, you can use black tea bags to make tea. Tea bags are not as strong as loose-leaf tea so use 5 tea bags for this quantity.
- It is important to let the tea cool down completely at room temperature or cold before adding in the agar agar powder and cornstarch. If not, the agar agar will seize and not dissolve properly.
- It is also important to pour the pudding into the serving cups immediately after it cooks and comes to a boil. Keep the cups ready and pour the hot mixture into the cups. This will give a clean look to the pudding. If you wait longer, the pudding will start to set and will not give a clean look.
