Excerpted with permission from Desi Bakes by Hetal Vasavada, published by ‎Hardie Grant Publishing, October 1, 2024, RRP $35.00 Hardcover.

At the end of a long day hanging out with my extended family, my dad always asks for a cup of Kadak chai, or strong tea. The tannins from the tea give this dessert a bittersweet flavor that I really love. Panna cotta is traditionally made with gelatin; however, to make it vegetarian, I used agar-agar to set the custard. You can find agar-agar—sometimes labeled China glass or kanten—at your local Asian grocery store or on Amazon. I highly recommend using CTC black tea for the authentic Kadak chai experience. I top my Kadak chai with Parle-G cookies, an Indian biscuit that’s commonly eaten with chai in India! Every Indian mom carries a packet of Parle-G cookies in their purse for their kids, and it’s a favorite childhood treat for many South Asians. If you can’t get your hands on Parle-G cookies, you can use digestive biscuits or my Ginger & Jaggery Spritz Cookies instead.