Dum chai in a pressure cooker

Tea in a pressure cooker sounds like a joke. Or a mistake. But this odd method of making dum chai has quietly turned into a talking point on social media, leaving viewers torn between disbelief and curiosity.

Chai is personal. Everyone has a method they defend. Milk first or water first. Strong or mild. Cardamom or no cardamom. This version ignores all of that. It borrows the idea of dum cooking, seals everything inside a pressure cooker, and lets steam do the job.

The video that sparked the chatter came from an Instagram page called 'Meals and Milestones'. The creator calls it a time-saving trick for rushed mornings. No watching the stove. No stirring. Just add everything, close the lid, and wait.

Is it tea or is it sambar? That was the first reaction when the video began doing the rounds on Instagram and Facebook. For a country that takes its tea seriously, this one landed like a small kitchen bomb.

Because who makes tea in a pressure cooker?

Apparently, plenty of people now.

Want to try it yourself? Follow this recipe.

Pressure cooker dum chai recipe
Ingredients
2 cups water
2 cups milk
Tea powder, to taste
Sugar, to taste
1 inch piece of ginger, crushed
2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

Preparation
Add water and milk to a pressure cooker
Add tea powder, sugar, crushed ginger, and cardamom
Close the lid and place the cooker on medium heat
Allow two whistles
Turn off the heat and wait for the pressure to settle
Open the cooker, strain the tea, and serve hot

The entire process takes under four minutes, according to the video. The result is a strong, well-coloured cup of chai, thanks to the steam and pressure locking in flavour.

Why it works
Pressure traps heat and flavour. What normally takes time in an open pan happens faster inside a sealed cooker. The tea leaves release colour and strength quickly, the ginger sharpens up, and the milk thickens without reducing too much. The result is surprisingly kadak.

Predictably, the comments section split into camps. One side applauded the efficiency. Perfect for mornings when even five minutes feel like a luxury. The other side was horrified. A pressure cooker for tea felt excessive, risky, and frankly unnecessary. Many asked the same question. Why not just use a saucepan? Some say washing a pressure cooker for tea defeats the point. There are jokes about chai tasting like sambar and fears of over-whistled disaster.

Should you try it?
If you enjoy kitchen experiments and like your tea strong, this one is worth a shot. Just remember one thing. Don’t walk away like you would with rice. Two whistles only. Anything more and your chai might actually start smelling like sambar.