While Darjeeling Tea is cultivated deep in the foothills of the Himalayas, abundant with wildlife, flora and fauna, and diverse soils, the cuisine here is often remarkably British. We’ve taken a traditional steamed pudding and given it a spicy twist, with flavoursome, seasonal carrots and fragrant saffron- we’ve echoed the honeyed character of the tea with orange honey: it’s the ideal alternative to the Christmas pud and makes the perfect Darjeeling Tea Pairing.
PAIR WITH
JING Darjeeling Tea Pairing
Our exceptional, limited batch of Darjeeling tea from the first flush is truly supreme in its quality, and expression of the iconic character of Darjeeling. Superbly fragrant with warm, floral aromas it gives way to a taste deep with honeysuckle, with a sweet mouthfeel, light astringency and rich texture. Alongside this moist steamed pudding, its flavours are only heightened by the spices and tart note of the orange honey.
RECIPE
JING Darjeeling Tea Pairing
Carrot & Saffron Steamed Pudding with Orange Honey
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
For the Carrot cake
225g Peeled Carrots
3 Whole Eggs
1 Yolk
170g Muscavado Sugar
75g Neutral Oil
50g Light Olive Oil
85g Wholemeal Flour
85g White Flour
9g Baking Powder
75g Desiccated Coconut
4,5g Powdered Cinnamon
2g Nutmeg
1g Saffron
For the orange honey
1 Litre Fresh Orange Juice
30g Honey
For the Masala Butter
100g Salted butter
30g Icing sugar
2g Garam Masala
METHOD
- Add the oil and the carrots to a blender and whizz into a fine paste
- Microwave the saffron for 30 seconds
- Add to the carrot mix and blend
- Combine all ingredients
- Butter and flour 6 ramekins with a diameter of 12cm and fill with 100g of cake mix, or one large glass bowl
- Tightly cling film all ramekins and steam for one hour*
- Remove from ramekins and allow to cool slightly.
- Reduce the orange juice to 100ml (about 15-20 minutes) over a medium heat
- Add honey to the reduction
- Use immediately, or store for up to a week
- Mix icing sugar with the softened butter and mix in garam masala
- Serve, or store in the fridge for up to a week
*To steam, place ramekins over boiling water in a bamboo/metal steamer and cover. Alternatively, line a deep saucepan with a bed of foil, place ramekins on top ensuring they do not directly touch the bottom of the pan. Fill halfway with boiling water and place lid firmly on top. If steaming in one large bowl rather than individual ramekins, steam for an hour and check cake regularly with a skewer through the centre - if it comes out clean, your cake is ready; it may take up to half an hour longer to cook through.
The JING Origins Explorer has been carefully curated to include a selection of single-origin JING loose leaf teas that deliver extraordinary taste. Teas that carry the distinctive signature of their origin and people; expressing the unique essence of terroir and tea master.
Each JING Origins Explorer comes with 5-samples of the finest loose-leaf teas from Asia’s famous tea regions, and a guide filled with stories of origin, and how to get the best from the teas at home. An ideal tea gift for foodies at Christmas, the teas were selected by JING’s Head of Tea, Tom Price, who has spent more than a decade scouring Asia for teas of exceptional quality.
