RECIPE – Insignia Tea Créme Anglaise by Robert Wemischner

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Recipe Tea Rangsaa Insignia Robert W

Pastry chef and culinary educator Robert Wemischner, adds complex wonderful flavors of Rangsaa tea to the popular Créme Anglaise in this vibrant Rangsaa Insignia Tea Créme Anglaise recipe, that finds it’s use in versatile desserts. Thank you Robert Wemischner for creating this wonderful recipe and sharing the Rangsaa love.

KEY INGREDIENTS
Yield: approximately 1 cup
1 generous tbsp Rangsaa Insignia
240 ml whole milk
3 egg yolks from large eggs
50 gms granulated sugar

PROCEDURE
Place the milk and tea in a heavy saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Once ready, remove it from heat and let it stand for another 5 minutes. Pour through a fine-meshed sieve and set aside. While your mixture is getting done, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until the sugar dissolves and the mixture has lightened in color. In a clean saucepan, reheat the infused milk to the simmer. Pour gradually over the egg yolks and sugar mixture, stirring to combine. Return that mixture to the saucepan and cook until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (180 degrees F.)  Do not overcook or the mixture will curdle. Once thickened pour it through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl set over ice water. Stir to cool quickly. Store in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 2 days.

RECOMMENDED USE
As the basis for an ice cream, as a dipping sauce for brownies or other rich cookies or bars, as a sauce over the ice cream of your choice, as a plating sauce for a seasonal fruit tart or as a pour over fresh berries.

Check out the original recipe here.

INTERVIEW – In Conversation with Chef Michael Swamy

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Interview NuevaChef Michael Swamy, the rising star of the culinary world, talks about his new role as the Chef Patron at NUEVA – India’s first Latin American restaurant in New Delhi. In an exclusive interview with Rangsaa, Chef Michael gets personal and shares his journey and inspiration behind his dream project Nueva…and his insane love for tea!

1. How did your love for Latin American food and tea, both commingle and inspire you to start Nueva, your dream project?
MS: I was brought up on magazines like NatGeo, BBC Wildlife, SPAN and others, which gave me glimpses of global culture and inspired me. One of the magazines had a feature on Spain and I remember getting intrigued back then too. Spanish cuisine is a vibrant cuisine. It’s based on home cooking styles and local ingredients and travel! The Spaniards travelled the world and took ingredients with them. It’s a cuisine that’s close to my heart.

Latin America was another region that intrigued me because of its colorful culture and the brilliant images I saw of the Amazon jungles. When I studied the food aspect that also fascinated me. And tea… I have a deep personal relationship with tea. My Nana (Mother’s mother) lived with us and had been a matron in hospitals during the British Era. So she followed many British customs and teatime was a serious affair in our house. Her friends knew this and those who travelled always brought back different teas as gifts. So I have grown up tasting different kinds of tea and have always loved it. So, when I got the opportunity to do a restaurant I decided I want to do something new and something, which will definitely have some element of tea in it. I also cook with tea!

2. Tell us about your target audience and why Nueva is a must visit place for all our readers?
MS: It’s for the adventurer, the expat, the person who wants to try out new things and most importantly for the person who loves, respects and understands food – not just because some cuisine is trending. It’s for those who understand the timeless quality of food. It’s a must visit place for someone who wants authenticity, flavor and taste, the connect of art on a plate and the ability to enjoy food at leisure. It’s for those who come to a place with an open mind.

3. Share your inspiration behind your unique menu at Nueva.
MS: The menu takes on all the aspects of nature. From nature we receive and to nature, one must give back. It’s about sustainable foods, local ingredients. The exotic is kept to a minimal. The inspiration is nature and the seasons, and so we have divided our menu as per garden, sea, mountains…

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4. From interiors to your menu, everything is so artistic and well selected in your restaurant. Are you a chef, who is also a poet and an artist?
MS: I am all of the above. One has been given talents and it would be criminal not to use them all. The designers and architects put together our vision of nature and design and the concept of minimalistic to good use and gave us a restaurant one can walk in and be comfortable. I do dabble in poetry and yes, the artist in me came to the fore as a food stylist and photographer. Having said that, I believe that every chef is a poet and artist… after all the food is the chef’s poetry and art translating onto a plate.

5. Is there a chef you admire the most? Tell us who & why?
MS: Chef Claire Clarke who instilled in me the art of bakery and perfection. She was a chef to the House of Lords and has worked in several Michelin restaurants. Seeing a woman achieve so much in a man’s world as inspiring enough, not to mention her penchant for perfection that she instilled in everyone around her.

6. Which is your favorite tea? And your favorite time of the day you enjoy drinking it?
MS: I drink tea at any time of the day – even in the middle of the night! My favorites are white tea, Lapsang Souchong and silver tips. I also enjoy orange pekoe.

7. Tell us your favorite dish on the menu and what makes it so special?
MS: Since all of them are my creations, I cannot choose any one. All are my favorites also because they have evolved due to my chefs’ inputs and suggestions. The Lamb Osso Bucco Stew, Slow-cooked Pork Belly with Vindaloo Glaze and Duck Moile are my favourites. Also, the Vegetable Lasagna and Mixed Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta would be the ones I would suggest people try out for sure.

8. Define “a perfect cup of Tea” and your favorite tea pairing of all times.
MS: For me, a perfect cup of tea goes well beyond how hot the water should be and how long the tea infuses… my perfect cup of tea is also all about the moment, the atmosphere, the place, the comfort of the silence or hustle around you. Because whether it’s during the day or night, I like to sit back, relax and sip my tea. It’s not just the brewing that makes it perfect. It’s the setting and the emotions running through you.

9. Working in the industry for so many years, what one advise would you like to share with our urban-generation of tea lovers?
MS: Try every kind of tea there is, whether hot, warm or iced, with or without milk, plain or flavored. It’s soothing, it’s comforting and it’s the story of India in a cup so take the story of it to the world.

Rangsaa Review by Robert Wemischner

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Robert W Quote blogIt’s an honour for us to share Rangsaa experience with Robert Wemischner, a veteran chef, culinary educator and author of four books, based in Los Angeles.

Getting reviewed by the expert on the subject of flavors and cooking with tea, Robert’s review titled, ‘New Winds Blowing in The World of Tea: Rangsaa Tea’ is simply mesmerising.

“It’s as if a breath of fresh air has entered my tea cabinet in the form of a new line of teas, leavened with an element of fun, subverting the expected.”, adds Robert Wemischner, a tea connoisseur who believes tea is timeless and infinite in variety.

Using tea as a cooking ingredient is a subject close to Robert’s heart. His views on the perfect packaging find credence in Rangsaa’s bold color palette that promises a novel and luxurious tea drinking experience.

He details how Rangsaa introduced him to a new palate experience through a delectable mix of flavors and aromas.

“Though an unscented black tea drinker myself, Rangsaa’s blend has opened up my palate to a new experience and has set my culinary wheels turning–will the subtly flavored brewed tea or dry blend be used in a sauce, a broth, an ice cream, or a sorbet?Or maybe flavor a custard, a filling for a cream puff, or éclair? Ideas abound.”

We’ve been introduced to the concept of cooking with tea just lately, but Robert Wemischner’s long-standing interest in the flavor potential of ingredients has culminated in his expertise in using tea as a flavor ingredient since the 1970’s. Robert Wemischner began his career to great media acclaim in the food business in the early 70’s as the owner of a pioneering gourmet-to-go shop in Beverly Hills. Robert has extensively experimented with cooking and has been a teacher of baking and pastry for more than 20 years at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College. He is also the author of The Vivid Flavors Cookbook, a groundbreaking book about fusion cuisine, Gourmet to Go on the business of specialty food retailing, The Dessert Architect, an invaluable resource on building versatile and creative desserts and Cooking with Tea, an exploration of the culinary potential of the humble leaf.

Thank you Robert Wemischner for your review and belief in Rangsaa’s Global Tea Movement. We urge all our readers to check out the complete review HERE!

6 Ways To Cook With Rangsaa Tea Blends

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cookingwithteaRangsaa’s obsession with tea transcends just drinking it. We like to add a whole world of innovation to how we use our blends. Our teas are our favorite ways to add grassy, herbal, sweet, and even smoky notes to our cooking repertoire. From buttery cookies to smoked meat and even stir-fries and butter, here’s how to eat more tea:

1. Swap stock for tea – Use Rangsaa for making pasta and oats, cooking grains like rice, barley, buckwheat and quinoa. You can also spice your soup up with a hint of fine tea. Use our infusions with intense aromas and flavors to give an unexpected twist to otherwise simple dishes.

2. Use it as spice rub – Adding Rangsaa to the usual rub suspects like salt, brown sugar, and garlic adds a savory note to cooking all kinds of poultry. Use our tea to mix with spices and rub it on meat (chicken, fish, lamb), followed with pan sautéing. Infusing the meat with tea makes for an enticing medley of scents and flavors. You can then de-glaze the pan with brewed tea, add a bit of butter and have a delicious pan sauce ready! Whether you are cooking a pot or baking a delicious chicken roast, experiment and have fun with Rangsaa.

3. Make tea butter – Think of this as your Rangsaa-rated herbal butter. To prepare the butter, add tea to heated butter and let it seep in for 5-10 minutes on medium heat before separating the leaves. Re-solidify the butter and store it in the fridge for later use in cakes, cookies, desserts and other baked items. The possibilities are truly endless. Be ready for a big gustatory surprise!

4. Work it into dough and batter – Tea absorbs water much like flour does. Adding butter stir-fried Rangsaa to the homemade dough for pasta, noodles, batter for bread and cakes imbues the item with a pretty color, texture and an exotic flavor. Add noodles into soup, bake a nice fruit bread or tea cookies or come up with an invention of your own. There are multiple options to mix and match your Rangsaa to wonderful recipes.

5. As a flavoring tool – Make a strong Rangsaa concoction and soak nuts and fruits in it overnight. Store this in the fridge and use in cakes, desserts and various dishes. This easy trick does wonder to your recipes and will amaze everyone around you.

6. Braising with Rangsaa – Apart from providing pleasure in a cup, Rangsaa is also ideal for braising lesser cuts of meat. A long slow cooking of meat in brewed tea results in a delicious sauce. Try brined sweet chicken to begin with. You’ll fall in love with the recipe and it won’t even be the beginning of a delicious affair!

Whether you are a seasoned chef or a newbie experimenting with different dishes, cooking with tea is going to take you on a new, uncharted culinary journey. Try our variety of blends and make Rangsaa not just a beverage choice but an ideal companion for your daily meals too.

Rangsaa Launches It’s Website Rangsaa.com on ITD 2016

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On the 12th International Tea Day, 15th December 2016, we at Rangsaa are glad to launch our website www.rangsaa.com.

We at Rangsaa are huge fans of superior quality tea and herbs, but were jaded with the poor-grade and dusty flavors that found their way into infusions. Having realised a gap in the market for healthy, all-natural tea, we sought out to create delicious blends loaded with pure, unadulterated power. And so Rangsaa was born.

Climate change and modern lifestyle are messing our health and mental peace. Diseases like diabetes, hypertension and high blood pressure are increasingly becoming common among people. In Delhi, the national capital of India, there are already serious concerns surrounding the dangerously high levels of toxicity in the air.

We feel it is the need of the hour for people to consider tea as the best option for their daily drinks. Market stats and global trend forecast prove that people are bored of artificial drinks and are looking for something that will improve them naturally.

After years of research and collaboration with experts, we created our unique Rangsaa recipes to rediscover the forgotten power of Indian herbs. Rangsaa’s tea blends and tisanes are the results of a precise and careful selection of evocative herbs with proven health benefits, designed for the modern tea drinker. We aim to create an exquisite tea drinking experience for tea lovers around the world. And we ensure our journey is beneficial for all by working directly with small growers and farmers.

A fitness and wellness movement, Rangsaa operates in a unique space. With all-natural ingredients curated to transform and energize, Rangsaa is all about complex and novel layers of flavors, undertones and aromas. Our blends are multi-versatile, finding their uses in cooking, nutritious drinks and healthy cocktails. We love design and bring to you a product that not just tastes amazing, but also looks absolutely amazing. Just how our tea makes you feel good inside-out, so will our packaging.

The concept of healthy, nutritious tea goes way beyond the popular green tea or flavored tea bags. While we do see the concept of premium tea as a health drink growing globally, it still remains to gain traction in India. Rangsaa is on a mission to change this and we need your support to that end.

We are brewing a modern culture for contemporary tea drinking experience, and we look forward to sharing this wonderful journey with you. Please check out our website, shop and show your support. Share it if you love it.

RECIPE – Rangsaa Insignia Tea Infused Oatmeal Cookies

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recipe-tea-rangsaa-insignia-cookieFind a fancy cookie jar for these sweet, crunchy, spicy oatmeal cookies made with whole-wheat flour. The use of tea-infused butter as an element makes them unique and adds flavors that will surprise your palate. It’s a quick recipe and yields about 15 cookies.

KEY INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup wheat flour
3 tsp Rangsaa Insignia
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 cup pistachios
1 cup butter
1 egg

PROCEDURE
Start by making your rangsaa infused butter. Heat the butter in a saucepan. Once liquid, add the tea and let it infuse in the butter on low heat for about 5 mins. Then cover the saucepan and let the mixture sit for 20 mins.

While your butter is getting ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl mix all the other ingredients and add clear butter. To separate the butter in the saucepan, pour the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing hard on the tea and then keep it aside. A quick tip here is that you can store the butter fried tea and use it later to flavor your rice. Tastes delicious!

Mix all the ingredients well until your cookie dough is well blended. Using two teaspoon dough per cookie, roll into balls, pressing gently on top. Place them on baking sheet about 1 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 20 mins until nicely brown. Once ready, serve fresh from the oven!

TEA PAIRING
Rangsaa Detox

RECIPE – Rangsaa Insignia Thai-Style Fish Kebabs

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recipe-tea-rangsaa-romance-2Here’s an appetizing, refreshing and flavorful fish kebabs recipe that will help you sneak a little extra goodness into your day.

KEY INGREDIENTS
500 gms white fish fillet
3 tsp Rangsaa Insignia
1/4 cup cornflour
1/2 cup butter
1 inch ginger
4 cloves garlic
3 spring onions
2 green chillies
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg white
1 tsp salt

PREPARATION
What you need to jump start this recipe is tea infused butter. In a saucepan heat the butter and add tea. Heat the mixture on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and let it stand for 15 minutes. Press the tea nicely on the side and remove from butter. (Quick tip- you can store the tea and use it later to flavor your rice and stews.)

While your butter is infusing with tea, you can prep for rest of the recipe.
Add fish, ginger, garlic, cornflour, egg, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend into paste. Add finely chopped spring onions and green chillies, and mix them well in the paste. Once the saucepan mentioned above is cool, add the fish paste to it and mix well so the flavors of the tea-butter are evenly absorbed. Divide the mix into 8 equal parts. Use wet hands to shape portions into patties and place on a plate.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add the kebabs and cook for 2 minutes each side, or until light brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with the remaining kebabs, reheating pan between batches.

BEST ENJOYED
As snacks, light main course or starter, with thai chilli sauce.

RECIPE – Rangsaa’s Tea Infused Elevating Butter Garlic Shrimps

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Recipe Tea Rangsaa Elevate ShrimpsFood chemistry tells us that fat is a carrier of flavor to the palate. Here’s a quick recipe that works around this idea. Savor the burst of enticing flavors and goodness of butter in this elegant and delicious recipe, that gets done in about 30 minutes or less.

INGREDIENTS
800 gms shrimps
3 tsp rangsaa elevate
1/8 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 cloves garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
2 red chillies
Parsley
Pepper
Salt

PREPARATION
Start by making the tea infused butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan until liquid. Add tea and heat the mixture for about 5 minutes on low heat setting. Remove from heat and allow it to stand for another 5 minutes. To separate the butter, pour the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing hard on the tea and then keep it aside. A quick tip here is that you can store the butter fried tea and use it later to flavor your rice. Tastes delicious!

To continue, heat the flavored butter in a wok on medium heat. Add chopped garlic and fry for few minutes. Add shrimps and cook stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Season with salt, crushed pepper and red chillies and stir to evenly coat the shrimps. Add the cream, finely chopped parsley and cook over low heat for another few minutes until the sauce is thick, dry and consistent. You should smell wonderful aromas by now. Add lemon juice and your shrimps are done!

FOOD PAIRING
Hot french bread and red wine.

RECIPE – Rangsaa Maximus Sweet Tea Chicken Roast

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rangsaa maximus

This recipe will be by far the most succulent, aromatic and flavorful whole chicken roast you will ever make. No kidding! The key to this awesome chicken is the process of soaking and marinating it with our signature herbal infusion from Rangsaa. The use of tea transforms the chicken completely, making it more wonderfully fragrant and unique. This fancy feast is super easy to make and will quickly become your family’s friday night favorite.

KEY INGREDIENTS
1 kg whole chicken
4 tsp Rangsaa Maximus 
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp Pepper
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
6 garlic cloves
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp pepper
1 lemon
Salt

PREPARATION
1. Start with making your tea sauce. Brew Rangsaa’s Maximus in 1 cup pre-boiled water for 15 minutes.
2. While tea is steeping, add coriander seeds, fennels seeds to a pan and toast them until the aromas are released.
3. Then add butter to the mixture and blend it all in on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, while adding tea sauce, garlic, honey, pepper and salt to the mixture, stirring until completely dissolved.
4. Put the chicken on 2 layered aluminium foil and stuff it’s cavity with the final herbaceous mixture and one sliced lemon. Be careful in sealing the chicken properly with the foil, so that the sauce doesn’t leak.
5. Marinate your chicken for 2 hours. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven.
6. Preheat the over at 200 C and bake the chicken at 200 C for an hour. Then take out the chicken, open your foil bag, and remove the chicken from the sauce. Coat it’s skin with a mixture of salt and pepper, and glaze it with honey.
7. Put the chicken alone in the oven and bake it at 200 C for 15 minutes.
8. Voila! your outrageously aromatic chicken roast is ready. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Prep time – 20 minutes
Cooking time – 1 hr 30 mins
Suggested pairing – White wine