If you’ve ever sipped a cup of Kashmiri Pink Chai on a cold winter day, you know it’s more than just tea — it’s comfort in a cup! Known as Noon Chai, Sheer Chai, or Gulabi Chai, this traditional drink from the Kashmir region is famous for its rosy pink color, creamy texture, and soothing salty-sweet taste.
Whether you’re making it for family gatherings, Eid breakfasts, or cozy winter evenings, this Kashmiri Tea Recipe brings authentic flavors right to your kitchen. With simple ingredients like green tea leaves, milk, baking soda, and cardamom, you can easily create this café-style cup at home.
☕ A Cup of Memories — Kashmiri tea has always been more than just a drink — it’s a part of every celebration and cozy winter evening. I still remember the beautiful winter weddings where this pink tea was always served after dinner, filling the air with its warm, nutty aroma. As a child, I used to wait eagerly for my cup of gulabi chai, topped with crushed almonds and pistachios. Even today, every sip takes me back to those moments — the laughter, the chill in the air, and the comfort of holding that warm cup in my hands.
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What is Kashmiri Tea?
Kashmiri Tea — also called Noon Chai (“noon” means salt in Kashmiri) — is a traditional tea prepared with green tea leaves, baking soda, milk, and salt or sugar depending on regional preference.
It’s distinct for its natural pink hue, achieved when baking soda reacts with green tea, and its rich, creamy flavor. This tea is typically enjoyed in cold climates, often paired with Kulcha, Kashmiri bread, or dry fruits.
While most people are used to sweet milk tea (chai), the beauty of Kashmiri tea lies in its subtle savory-sweet balance, making it unique and refreshing.
In its unprocessed state, it resembles green tea leaves, but it boasts a distinct flavor, a lovely taste, and a soft pink hue that emerges when brewed with baking soda and topped with nuts, creating a signature pink tea experience.
Why You’ll ❤️ This Recipe
- Authentic Kashmiri restaurant-style flavor
- No artificial color — natural pink from green tea & baking soda
- Simple ingredients, easily available anywhere in the world
- Comforting winter drink for cozy evenings
- Perfect for Iftar, Eid, or festive brunches
Kashmiri Tea Ingredients
| Ingredient | Description |
|---|---|
| Green Tea Leaves (Kashmiri not Regular) | The key base — choose strong loose green tea for best color. |
| Water | Use fresh filtered water to boil the tea. |
| Baking Soda | Creates the pink color when mixed with tea. Use just a pinch! |
| Whole Milk | Full-fat milk gives the best creamy texture. You can substitute with half-and-half. |
| Salt and Sugar | Traditional Kashmiri version uses salt, but you can balance both to taste. |
| Whole Spices | Cardamom Pods, cloves & cinnamon. For aroma and delicate sweetness. |
| Sliced Pistachios & Almonds | Add as garnish for richness. |
| Cream (optional) | For extra velvety texture. |
How to Make Kashmiri Tea
1. Boil Water and Brew the Green Tea Base
In a deep pan, pour 3 cups of water and bring it to a gentle boil.
Once it starts bubbling, add 2½ teaspoons of Kashmiri green tea leaves and let it simmer on medium heat for 10–15 minutes until the water turns slightly darker in color and aromatic.
2. Add Baking Soda for Color Development
Now, add 3 small pinches of baking soda — this is the magic ingredient that helps create the signature pink color later.
Tip: The tea might rise quickly, so use a deep pan and keep the heat low.
Stir continuously for a minute or two until the tea takes on a deep red or maroon tone — this is the concentrated base of your pink tea.
3. Infuse with Aromatic Spices
Add a pinch of salt, 1-inch cinnamon stick, 2 green cardamoms, and 3 cloves. These whole spices will release a comforting aroma and add a subtle warmth to your tea.
Cover the pan and let it simmer for 35–40 minutes on low heat to deepen the flavor and extract a rich tea concentrate (kahwa).
4. Aerate to Unlock the Pink Hue
Once done, turn off the heat and add chilled water or a few ice cubes to the tea. This sudden temperature change helps oxygenate the tea, turning it into a natural rosy pink color.
5. Strain and Prepare the Final Tea
Strain the kahwa through a fine sieve into another pot.
In a separate pan, heat 2 cups of milk until it comes to a gentle boil. Add 1 cup of the prepared kahwa (you can increase or decrease based on your preferred color intensity).
Add sugar to taste and simmer for a few minutes until it turns a beautiful shade of pink.
6. Garnish and Serve
Pour the Kashmiri pink chai into cups and garnish with crushed almonds and pistachios for an authentic touch.
Serve warm with your favorite cookies, bakarkhani, or sweet snacks — a perfect comfort drink for winter evenings or festive occasions.
Tips To Make Best Kashmiri Tea
- To achieve that lovely pink hue, make sure to add Kashmiri tea powder to boiling water.
- Add baking soda sparingly (a pinch goes a long way). It acts as a catalyst to boost the pink color.
- It's best to use a wide-mouthed tea pan since the baking soda can cause the tea to bubble over due to the heat.
- Lastly, remember to mix in some chilled water with your hot Kashmiri kahwa for that perfect pinkish shade.
- Avoid over-boiling after adding milk — it can dull the color.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the full aroma and froth.
How to Store Pink Tea?
- Refrigerate: Store leftover Kashmiri green kahwa in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat: Khawa is the base of tea so boil it and add milk gradually. If you only want to warm up the 'ready version' of kashmiri tea then simply put the cup in microwave because after boiling it will lose the creaminess.
- Avoid freezing — both kahwa and milk tea.
How to Serve Kashmiri Chai
Kashmiri tea pairs beautifully with:
- Bakarkhani, Sheermal, or Kulcha - I love to serve with Roghni naan.
- Dry fruits like almonds & pistachios - Best to serve with date rolls
- Pakoras or Samosas - Yes, it's an evergreen combination.
- Cookies or biscuits for evening tea - Try with Karachi biscuits or desi style meethi tikiyan
Perfect for chilly evenings or Ramadan suhoor! I love to compliment this with Phirni, gajar ka halwa or gajrela.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kashmiri green tea leaves are an important ingredient in making good pink tea. Scientifically, when hot Kashmiri tea leaves meet with Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), in water, it turns red at high temperature. So when milk is added, it neutralizes the red color to pink so if you add more khawa then you will get a strong pink color.
It usually happens if baking soda is not enough or if you’re using black tea instead of green tea. Make sure to aerate well while boiling.
No, it’s essential for color. Without it, the tea stays brownish.
Kashmiri tea is made with green tea leaves so it has less caffeine as compared to black coffee and black tea. Check the Kashmiri tea packet guide to get more precise figures.
The recipe uses special tea leaves only found in Kashmir! that is why it's called Kashmiri tea The leaves are similar to green tea and they're traditionally prepared in a copper kettle called a samovar. You can't use regular green tea to make Kashmiri pink tea.
Teamonk premium high mountain Kashmiri khawa and you will get it in form of teabags.
Tapal Gulbahar: available in most of the Pakistani and Indian stores.
Dewan Kashmiri Tea: Never tried but heard some good reviews.
Tea Lab: It's an affordable royal Kashmiri Khawa with saffron and Indian spices.
More Tea Recipes
Karak Chai | Orange Peel Tea | Cappuccino | Dalgona Coffee
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Kashmiri Tea Recipe (Noon Chai / Pink Chai)
Equipment
- Tea pan
Ingredients
- 2.5 teaspoon Kashmiri Chai green tea leaves
- 3 cups Water
- 2 cups Milk
- 3 pinches Salt
- 3 pinches Baking Soda
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 3 Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- Almond + Pistachio (For garnish)
Instructions
Boil Water and Brew the Green Tea Base
- In a deep pan, pour 3 cups of water and bring it to a gentle boil. Once it starts bubbling, add 2½ teaspoons of Kashmiri green tea leaves and let it simmer on medium heat for 10–15 minutes until the water turns slightly darker in color and aromatic.
Add Baking Soda for Color Development
- Now, add 3 small pinches of baking soda — this is the magic ingredient that helps create the signature pink color later.💡 Tip: The tea might rise quickly, so use a deep pan and keep the heat low.Stir continuously for a minute or two until the tea takes on a deep red or maroon tone — this is the concentrated base of your pink tea.
Infuse with Aromatic Spices
- Add a pinch of salt, 1-inch cinnamon stick, 2 green cardamoms, and 3 cloves. These whole spices will release a comforting aroma and add a subtle warmth to your tea.Cover the pan and let it simmer for 35–40 minutes on low heat to deepen the flavor and extract a rich tea concentrate (kahwa).
Aerate to Unlock the Pink Hue
- Once done, turn off the heat and add chilled water or a few ice cubes to the tea. This sudden temperature change helps oxygenate the tea, turning it into a natural rosy pink color.
Strain and Prepare the Final Tea
- Strain the kahwa through a fine sieve into another pot.In a separate pan, heat 2 cups of milk until it comes to a gentle boil. Add 1 cup of the prepared kahwa (you can increase or decrease based on your preferred color intensity).Add sugar to taste and simmer for a few minutes until it turns a beautiful shade of pink.
Garnish and Serve
- Pour the Kashmiri pink chai into cups and garnish with crushed almonds and pistachios for an authentic touch.
- Serve warm with your favorite cookies, bakarkhani, or sweet snacks — a perfect comfort drink for winter evenings or festive occasions.
Video
Notes
- The pink hue emerges when you mix Kashmiri tea powder with boiling water, so be mindful of the amount you use to achieve the desired shade.
- Adding a pinch of baking soda will enhance the pink color, so be sure not to omit this step.
- Keep in mind that the mixture may overflow after adding the soda, so opt for a deep tea pot.
- Also, always incorporate chilled water into hot Kashmiri kehwa, as this will make sure you achieve that perfect pinkish tint.
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Here is the step by step Kashmiri Pink Tea Recipe that you can easily make at home. Famous as noon chai.