Sha Saah with Khasi Tea Cakes

Name: Sha Saah with Khasi Tea Cakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Khasi
Ingredients: 2 tsp black tea leaves; 500 ml Water; 150 g rice flour; 50 g Jaggery; 80 ml Water; 2 tbsp oil; 1 tsp Sesame seeds; 2 tbsp Grated coconut

Plain black Khasi tea, sha saah, served alongside small pan-fried rice flour tea cakes, a common household afternoon ritual.

🇮🇳India· Meghalaya

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 150 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

2 tsp black tea leaves — loose leaf
500 ml Water
150 g rice flour — for tea cakes
50 g Jaggery — grated
80 ml Water — for cake batter
2 tbsp oil — for pan frying
1 tsp Sesame seeds — optional topping
2 tbsp Grated coconut — optional topping for cakes

Equipment

•Kettle
•Griddle

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 150 kcal
fat: 4 g
carbs: 28 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 2 g
calories: 150 kcal

Instructions

1
Bring water to a full boil in a kettle. Add the black tea leaves.
2
Simmer for 3–4 minutes until the tea turns dark. Strain the tea into cups.
3
For the tea cakes, mix rice flour with jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) dissolved in water. Stir to form a thick batter.
4
Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
5
Heat a griddle with a little oil. Spoon small portions of batter onto it.
6
Flatten gently with the back of a spoon. Cook until the bottom turns golden.
7
Flip each cake over. Cook the other side until firm and lightly browned.
8
Sprinkle sesame seeds over the cakes while they are still warm.
9
Serve the hot tea alongside the freshly made tea cakes.

Chef's tips

Keep the tea unsweetened for the authentic sha saah (red tea) style, letting the jaggery in the cakes provide the sweetness. Serve the cakes warm straight off the griddle.