“The procedure of making Irani Chai is a secret. When I was about 9 years old, I heard the story of how immigrant Iranians brought the heritage of Irani Chai to Hyderabad from my Walid Sahab. Back then, coffee was the preferred morning beverage, so they prepared tea with milk and served it to the public in the afternoons. People would gather at Chabutras which served as a seat for a few people outside their homes. Fast forward a couple of years, nobody could have guessed that people would acquire a taste for Iranian tea and that it would become a way of life. Since then, Irani chai has become our livelihood.
I come from a poor family and my ménage consists of three brothers and one sister. My father was the sole breadwinner and there were many mouths to be fed in the family. And as I grew up, the growing demands of the family took priority and I had to discontinue my school to join my father’s tea business. There are no special ingredients used in making Irani Chai. We boil the water and tea leaves in two separate containers and we make use of a special handi, made of copper, to boil the milk. But the real magic lies in mixing these ingredients. This is how we are still able to perpetuate that Iranian touch. The taste of Irani chai will be the same no matter the time of the day be it morning, afternoon or evening. That is the promise we give to our customers every day.

We have been selling Irani Chai for the past 70 years. We buy over 60 litres of milk, sometimes even more. We begin at 5:00 a.m. in the morning and wind up at around 11:00 p.m. in the night. Back in the day, the price of a cup of Iranian chai was about 40 paisa. Now we charge Rs.12 per Cup. We also have a few dedicated customers who have been visiting our cafe twice a day for the last 20 years. These are the things that give us the drive to outmatch our own selves each day. Our aim is not just serving hot beverages and snacks, but keeping alive a slice of the Hyderabadi culture for the generations to come.
Alhamdulillah, hopefully, with God’s blessings, we will continue to serve our dear customers in the future too!”

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