In Mumbai, nothing is shared more freely than chai. Cut it — kaato — and hand half to a friend. That is where the name comes from.
The cutting chai of Mumbai is served in a small kullad glass, half the size of a normal cup. It is stronger than ordinary chai. Sweeter. More milk, less water, more tea. The ginger is subtle but present. It is drunk quickly — standing at a tapri (street stall) — in the gap between phone calls, meetings, arguments, and moments of quiet that Mumbai somehow always finds between the noise.
The CTC Secret
CTC stands for Crush-Tear-Curl — a processing method that produces small, round pellets of tea rather than leaves. CTC tea extracts faster and more intensely than leaf tea, which is exactly what cutting chai demands. Use it.
Mumbai cutting chai uses more milk than water. The ratio is approximately 1:1, sometimes tilted toward more milk. This gives it the rich, creamy body that sets it apart from northern masala chai.
Method
Step 1. Combine water, ginger, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Step 2. Add the CTC tea. Boil for 2 minutes — cutting chai is not delicate.
Step 3. Add the milk. Return to a rolling boil, watching carefully.
Step 4. Strain directly into two small glasses. Serve immediately — cutting chai does not wait.
“The beauty of cutting chai is its lack of pretension. It costs ₹10. It takes four minutes. It is perfect.
There is a Mumbai superstition: if you accept a cutting chai from someone, you owe them a conversation. The exchange of chai is an exchange of time.