Bun Maska

Make Irani chai: Bring 400ml water to a vigorous boil in a saucepan. Add tea leaves and boil for 3 minutes — the chai should be very dark and strong. Add milk and bring back to a boil. Add sugar. Simmer for 2–3 more minutes. The tea should be very sweet and milky with a strong, slightly bitter tea flavour. Strain into cups. Authentic Irani chai is thick, sweet, and more milky than average chai.

About 10 min

Tip: Irani chai is brewed for longer and with more tea than regular chai, giving it a distinctive bold, slightly tannin-forward flavour.

Prepare the buns: Slice the bread rolls horizontally. Toast the cut sides on a hot dry pan or toaster until golden. The exterior should be lightly crispy while the interior remains soft.

About 5 min

Tip: Toast until just golden — over-toasted buns become hard and lose the soft, pillowy texture that defines bun maska.

Apply butter and serve: While the buns are still warm, spread a very generous amount of room-temperature unsalted butter on both cut surfaces — be more generous than you think is reasonable. The butter should melt slightly into the warm bread. Stack the bun back together. Serve immediately alongside the hot Irani chai. Authentic bun maska requires the butter to be cold-pressed, fresh, and milky in flavour — salted butter changes the character of the dish.

About 5 min

Tip: Room-temperature butter spreads without tearing the bread and melts into the warm toasted surface perfectly. Cold butter from the fridge will tear the bread.