Experience the warmth of winter with a delightful Kashmiri Tea Recipe made from authentic Kashmiri tea leaves and a touch of baking soda. This creamy, milky tea has floral notes, a hint of saltiness, and a nutty flavor, often referred to as pink chai or pink tea. Here’s a simple and easy recipe you can make at home. Give it a try and share the warmth with your family!
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What is Kashmiri Tea?
This delightful pink tea recipe hails from the stunning valley of Jammu and Kashmir and is a favorite among people in both Pakistan and India, especially during special celebrations. If you're from Karachi, you’ve likely enjoyed this tea at winter weddings, where it’s a highlight for guests. Known by various names such as Noon chai, shir chai, gulabi, or simply pink tea, it has a unique charm.
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. Traditionally, this tea is enjoyed in the winter months, as it helps ward off the chill and promotes mental relaxation due to its anti-stress properties.
For me, preparing Kashmiri tea is a labor of love, as it requires patience to simmer properly, with each step crucial for achieving the perfect taste and color. A friend of my mother’s in Dubai shared this recipe with me, and I decided to give it a try at home. I sourced high-quality Kashmiri tea leaves from a Pakistani store in Dubai, and to my delight, the result was just as authentic in taste, color, and texture as the original Kashmiri tea I savored in Karachi.
Kashmiri Tea Ingredients
Kashmiri Chai: This delightful beverage is crafted using unique green tea leaves, specifically gunpowder tea, to create the traditional Kashmiri tea known as kahwa (you can find it at any Pakistani or Indian grocery store).
Whole Spices: The kahwa is infused with aromatic green cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon for a rich flavor.
Water: Essential for preparing the Kashmiri kahwa.
Milk: Full-fat milk is used to achieve a luscious, creamy pink tea.
Salt + Baking Soda: These ingredients act as a catalyst to develop the signature dusty pink hue.
Top it off with a sprinkle of almonds and pistachios for a delightful garnish.
How to Make Kashmiri Tea
Step 1: Prepare Kashmiri Tea Kahwa:
To prepare Kashmiri Tea Kahwa, start by boiling 3 tablespoons of water in a tea pan on the stovetop for a few minutes.
Once boiling, add 2.5 teaspoons of green Kashmiri tea leaves and let it simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.
After that, mix in 3 pinches of baking soda. The tea will overflow right after adding the soda so make sure to use the deep tea pan or pour on slow heat.
Also add salt, along with a 1-inch stick of cinnamon, 2 green cardamom pods, and 3 cloves to infuse the tea with a lovely garam masala aroma. Stir everything well!
Next, cover the tea pan with a lid and allow it to cook for about 40 minutes to create a rich, concentrated mixture.
Once the time is up, turn off the heat and either add chilled water or ice cubes. Finally, strain the kahwa to make pink Kashmiri tea.
Step 2: Add Milk into Kashmiri Kahwa:
In a tea pan, add 2 cups of milk. Once the milk reaches a boil, stir in approximately 1 cup of Kashmiri tea kahwa. If you prefer a richer pink hue, feel free to add more kahwa. Let it boil, then sweeten to your liking.
To elevate the taste, sprinkle some crushed almonds and pistachios on top.
Allow it to cook for another 5 minutes before serving alongside your favorite dessert or sweet treat.
Video Recipe
Here I captured the steps while making this tea. Let's watch it!
Tips to Make Best Pink Tea
- To achieve that lovely pink hue, make sure to add Kashmiri tea powder to boiling water.
- Don't skip the pinch of baking soda; 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 kehwa for that perfect pinkish shade.
How to Store Pink Tea?
You can keep the Kashmiri green khawa in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days. When you're ready to enjoy it, simply take it out, warm it up on the stovetop, and mix in some milk. Just remember not to store it for longer than 3 days.
How to Serve Kashmiri Chai
Kashmiri tea can be enjoyed in many different ways. It pairs wonderfully with desserts, and one of my favorites to serve alongside it is Phirni, a well-loved dessert from Kashmir. Many people like to include it when enjoying this delightful pink tea, which is known as noon chai among the locals. You can also complement it with Kashmiri naan or bread for a tasty treat.
Q & A
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.
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.
Try it!! And Join Us
If you are looking forward to try this Kashmiri Tea Recipe or something else, then don’t forget to Rate the Recipe by clicking on stars and ask your query in comment section. I would love to reply to make your experience successful. It will be encouraging if you share your recipe shots with me to share on stories at Instagram.
Karak Chai | Orange Peel Tea | Cappuccino | Dalgona Coffee
More Tea Recipes
Kashmiri Tea Recipe (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
- In a saucepan, pour in 3 tablespoons of water and bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, add 2.5 teaspoons of green Kashmiri tea.
- Let it simmer on low to medium heat for approximately 10 minutes.
- After this time, mix in 3 pinches of baking soda and 3 pinches of salt. It will overflow right after adding the soda so be careful at this stage.
- Add 3 pinches of salt.
- Add a 1-inch piece of cinnamon, 2 green cardamom pods, and 3 cloves.
- Stir well to combine.
- Cover the pan and allow it to cook for about 40 minutes to achieve a concentrated blend.
- After 40 minutes, turn off the heat and add some ice-cold water.
- Strain the tea, which can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week for making Kashmiri tea with milk.
- Next, in a separate saucepan, heat 2 cups of milk.
- Once the milk begins to boil, add around 1 cup of the prepared Kashmiri tea kahwa, adjusting the amount based on your desired pink color.
- For added flavor, sprinkle in crushed almonds and pistachios. Cook for an additional 5 minutes before serving!
- Now the pink tea is ready to serve!
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.
Hinz
Here is the step by step Kashmiri Pink Tea Recipe that you can easily make at home. Famous as noon chai.