Kashmiri pink tea prepared with authentic Kashmiri tea leaves and a pinch of baking soda that makes a perfect tea for winter evening. It's a creamy, milky, flowery, little salty, and nutty flavored tea also famous as noon chai or pink tea. Here is a simple and easy recipe to make at home. Try and share with family!
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About Recipe
It's the most popular and delicious pink tea recipe originating from the beautiful valley of Jammu and Kashmir. People from Pakistan and India love to have this tea on special occasions. If you belong to Karachi then you must have tried this in one of the winter weddings as it's the main attraction for guests. Many people know it as Noon chai, shir chai, gulabi or pink tea.
In raw form, It seems like green tea leaves but has a special flavor, taste, and the light pink color hidden in these leaves that are brewed with baking soda and garnished with nuts to make a signature cup of pink tea. Mostly the tea has been served in winters as it helps to fight against cold and is also good for mental relaxation as it contains some anti-stress elements.
Making Kashmiri tea is a matter of fortitude for me as it takes time to simmer and every step is important to bring the quality taste and color to this recipe. My mother's friend in Dubai told me about this recipe that I tried at home. Good quality Kashmiri tea leaves are required to make this tea that I took from a Pakistan store in Dubai and tried this recipe at home and it was surprisingly the same taste, color, and texture executed that can genuinely relate with original Kashmiri tea that I had in Karachi.
Kashmiri Pink Tea Benefits
Kashmiri tea is energizing, increases mental alertness, reduces headaches, and upholds fluid levels in the body. Joint pains are also known to disappear to some extent if a pinch of cinnamon is added during brewing.
Ingredients
Kashmiri Chai: used special green tea leaves made with gunpowder tea to make authentic kashmiri tea khawa (Available any Pakistani or Indian store)
Whole Spices: used green cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon to brew the khawa
Water: to make Kashmiri khawa
Milk: used full fat milk to make a creamy cup of pink tea.
Salt + Baking Soda: will work as a catalyst to bring the dusty pink color.
Garnish with almonds and pistachios
How to Make
Preparation of Kashmiri Tea Khawa: On the stovetop, add 3tbsp water in a tea pan and let it boil for a few minutes. Add 2.5 teaspoon of green Kashmiri tea leaves and simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat to make a khawa. After 10 minutes, add 3 pinches of baking soda and salt. Also add 1" stick of cinnamon, 2 green cardamom, and 3 cloves to add the fragrance of garam masala. Give it a good mix! Now cover the tea pan with a lid and cook for about 40 minutes to make a concentrated mixture. After 40 minutes, turn off the stove and add chilled water or add ice cubes. Strain the tea.
Preparing Kashmiri Tea with Khawa: Now in a tea pan, heat up the 2 Cups of milk. As the milk starts to boil, add the Kashmiri tea kahwa around 1 Cup. You can add more Kashmiri kahwa according to the satisfaction of pink color in tea.
Garnish with crushed almonds and pistachios to enhance the flavor.
Cook again for about 5 minutes and serve!
Watch Video
Here is the step-by-step video recipe from scratch to prepare Kashmiri pink tea at home.
Share with your family and friends. It would be great if you leave your feedback in the comment box. You can also share your suggestions. If you make this karahi then share a picture with me on Facebook.
Expert Tips
- Always add Kashmiri tea powder in hot boiling water to get perfect pink color.
- Don't avoid the pinch of baking soda it will work as a catalyst to enhance the pink color.
- Always use big mouth tea pan as the addition of baking soda can overflow the tea due to high temperature.
- Always add chilled water in hot Kashmiri kehwa. This step will give you a perfect pinkish color.
How to Store?
You can store the Kashmiri green khawa in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. And when you need it, take it out and heat it up on the stovetop, and add milk. Don't store for more than 3 days.
Faq's
How is Kashmiri Chai get pink color?
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.
Does It contain caffeine?
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.
Is Green Tea the Same as Kashmiri Tea?
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.
Best brands of Kashmiri tea leaves
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.
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Kashmiri Pink Tea (Noon 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
- In tea pan, add 3 tablespoon of water and as it starts boiling.
- Add 2.5 teaspoon of green Kashmiri tea.
- Cook it about 10 minutes on low medium heat.
- After 10 minutes, add 3 pinches of baking soda.
- Add 3 pinches of salt.
- Also add cinnamon 1(1 inch), green cardamom (2) cloves (3).
- Give it a good mix.
- Cover and cook for about 40 minutes to make it a concentrated mixture.
- After 40 minutes, turn off the stove and add ice cube water.
- Strain the tea.
- Now you can store the tea for 1 week in the fridge to make Kashmiri tea with milk.
- Now in a tea pan, heat up the 2 Cups of milk.
- As the milk started to boil, you can add the Kashmiri tea kehwa around 1 Cup. You can add more kehwa as per your pink color requirements.
- Add crushed almonds and pistachios to enhance the flavor.
- Now cook it for about 5 minutes and serve!
Video
Notes
- The pink color comes up when you add Kashmiri tea powder in hot boiling water. So monitor the quantity to get desired pink color.
- A pinch of Baking soda (soda bicarbonate) will help to get the perfect pink color. So don't skip it.
- After adding soda, it will overflow so make sure to use a big tea utensil.
- Always add chilled water to hot Kashmiri kehwa. This step will give you a perfect pinkish color.
Hinz
Here is the step by step Kashmiri Pink Tea Recipe that you can easily make at home. Famous as noon chai.