Chai-spiced Citrus Bloom
‘The intriguing flavours and fragrances of Eid Day have an emotional connection; almost a nostalgic tie. The heavily imbued fragrance of lightly toasted saffron being stirred into Eid milk or the aroma that you get when you peel back the covering of biryani that’s been steaming, or how the smoke from grilling prawns fills the kitchen before dinnertime. I wanted to capture these fragrances in a drink and present the ideal cooler for your Eid lunch table to serve alongside a fiery biryani. Light the rosemary in front of your guests to elevate the sensory experience.’ Serves 6.
You’ll need: 1 cup boiling water, 2 star anise, 1 x 5-cm length cinnamon stick, 5 – 8 cardamom pods, 4 whole cloves, grated rind of 1 orange, 1 cup sugar, a few pink peppercorns, lightly crushed, 3 cups ice cubes, 1 1/2 cups coconut water, 1 bottle (1–2 litres) ginger ale, dehydrated orange slices to garnish, and 6 sprigs fresh rosemary.
To make: Pour the water into a mug and add the star anise, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and orange rind. Leave to infuse for 1 hour.
Place the sugar and infused water with the whole spices in a small pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook the syrup for 10 minutes until the flavours are well combined. Remove from the heat and strain the syrup.
Place the crushed pink peppercorns on a small plate. Using some of the syrup, brush the rims of your glasses and dip them into the peppercorns.
Add 1/2 cup of ice cubes to each glass. Add 1 tot sugar syrup to each glass. Add 2 tots coconut water and top up with ginger ale.
Garnish with dehydrated orange slices. To finish, pop 1 sprig of rosemary into each glass and light it before serving so it smokes on the way to the table.
The Journey is a magnificent celebration of Naqiyah Mayat’s preserving the art of Indian cooking while embracing her own culinary style. Gloriously illustrated, it opens with Date Buns through to the most delish Lamb Mince Flatbreads and Butter Chicken Naan to this impressive Chai-spiced Citrus Bloom. Penguin Books
