सभी का स्वागत
All Welcome
All Welcome
Stop by any Bombay tapri (street stall), café, or home, and you will likely find yourself with a gently steaming glass of chai in hand.
Before the invention of chai, Bombayites drank kadha, an ayurvedic remedy for coughs and colds made of boiled water and spices like cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. Eventually locals started adding tea leaves, milk, honey and sugar to their ‘kadha’. Chai was born.
Today, chai represents many things. A refreshing welcome for guests in our homes. A connection to our identity, for every region and every family has their own recipe. And comfort. Its taste transports us back to picking tea leaves from our grandparents’ gardens, and watching them brew the rich nectar that could mend a grazed knee (and, later, a broken heart) with one sip.
In Bombay, chai is the fuel that keeps the city running. Chai-wallas on crowded streets stir simmering pots of the city’s quintessential ‘cutting chai’ — a half measure that came about thanks to Bombayites’ incessant chai drinking. This special brew is boiled a little longer to make it kadak (strong), then served in glasses half the size of traditional chai, meaning Bombayites can stop for as many as they wish, without sending themselves skywards on a caffeine trip.
And in our own cafés, chai is just as essential. For one thing, it helps keep our kitchens running; our chef-wallas drink Kitchen Chai (very strong, very sweet) by the bucketload. But it is part of who we are and how we wish our guests to feel. A bubbling pot of our House Chai (a blend we perfected over ten years ago) is never far from our front door, its spicy scent welcoming clock-watching office workers, sleep-deprived parents and languorous lovebirds. And, once seated, as you cradle your warm glass and chat, or gulp down your milky nectar with the desperation of three hours of sleep, we await our opportunity to replenish your bottomless chai. To make you feel everything chai makes us feel. Rejuvenated and reconnected. Home.
For over 10 years, we’ve been lovingly brewing Chef Naved's recipe every day in our cafés. We are truly thrilled to be able to share this blend with you. Containing best-quality Assam tea and Dishoom signature spices – just add fresh ginger, milk and sugar for endless comfort in as little as 20 minutes.
There are now ample ways to delight in this heart-warming delicacy. Bestow instant warmth with our House Chai blend, first-class gift-sets and bountiful hampers. Enthusiasts will be spoilt for choice.
Vaisakhi, a day marked across India by people of many faiths, is celebrated in the Punjab as the start of the new Harvest. It falls on the 13th or 14th April depending on the calendar for that year.
Spring has gently tiptoed in. As the days lengthen and the sun grows bolder, here’s a glimpse of what we eagerly await in April.
We’re turning page after page of Ayesha Erkin’s recipe book Date of the Day, featuring 30+ recipes for the modest date – timely for breaking fast and after. Our dear friend Ayesha has now kindly shared a recipe for you to make at home. Try it this Iftar or any time you need a salty-spiced sticky treat.
The holy month of Ramadan is upon us, when Muslims around the world fast daily from dawn till dusk. It is a time of private worship and spiritual discipline, but also of shared joy and abundant feasting. Families and communities come together at suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, and at iftar, the evening meal, to break their fasts with copious, delicious dishes. Join us on 7th April for our own Iftar celebration – for an evening of feasting and live music.