There are some professions in India that have finally received a much needed face-lift. One is the humble Chaiwala. Second is the lowly Bawarchi. With tea salons and chefs becoming page three regulars, no one looks down on you anymore if you say you cook or brew tea for a living. One of the brightest (and prettiest) new faces on the tea scene is tea sommelier Snigdha Manchanda, the brains & beauty behind the beautifully packaged brand Tea Trunk.

I first heard about Snigdha when she very kindly asked for my address to send me a box of her handcrafted tea. It’s always a pleasant shock when a complete stranger acts towards you with generosity and kindness. And when I met her on the sets of Sunny Side Up, I realized that this act of hers was not just a marketing promotion, but that she actually wanted to share her passion for tea with people.

Snigdha lives in Goa and markets her brand from there. I have always admired people who can leave the rat race of the city to go chase their dreams in a less stressful environment. It’s one of my dreams too, to source really special ingredients straight from the people who produce them and share them with the world (a dream that will soon be put into action 😉 )

She brought along a beautiful Marigold Lemongrass Green Tea she had curated for a wedding. Saffron Kahwa Green Tea & a Rose Oolong Tea. I made some Namkeen Biscotti to go with the Kahwa (having just been to Kashmir, I am currently in LOVE with Kashmiri Kahwa), some Momos for the Rose Oolong and a silky Rose Cardamom Caramel Custard with the Rose Oolong.
As we sat sipping her tea (which had been brewed perfectly by her), I realized that it was one of those serendipitous situations where you meet someone who is interested in exactly the same philosophy of life as you. Chances are this doesn’t happen very often J

Namkeen Biscotti

“Biscotti” literally means twice-cooked in Italian. If you think this actually involves more work than a normal biscuit, you are totally wrong. Biscotti is one of the easiest biscuit recipes to make and you can also bake it till the log stage and keep it in the freezer, waiting to pop in the oven whenever you have some friends over for a cuppa tea.

Vegetarian Momos

I’m a big fan of steamed food! Dim sum, momos, modaks- you name it, I love it! In China, dim sum is usually had with green tea. So I thought pairing some momos with the Lemongrass Marigold Green Tea Snigdha was bringing along, would be a perfect match. And momo wrappers are much easier to make than dimsum wrappers!

Rose Cardamom Caramel Custard

My granny used to make the best Caramel Custard! She had learnt it from some English lady who used to teach classics to the Indian ladies who wanted to make “conti” food. To this classic, I added some fresh rose petals (I love pink food ok!) and cardamom to give it a flavor that would match the Rose Oolong Tea Snigdha had brought. Just remember to let the caramel cool in the moulds before adding the milk mixture or else you won’t have the separation clearly marked in the custard.