Friday 22 November 2013

Kashmiri Chai (Tea) recipe

Authentic Kashmiri Noon Chai recipe:

Good for 4 - 6 people

Ingredients:
Kashmiri Noon Chai
Kashmiri Noon Chai

Water 4 -6  cups
Milk 1 - 2 cups
Sugar (optional) to taste
Green cardamoms 4 - 6
Salt to taste
Baking Soda 1 - 2 pinch
Green Tea - 2 tsps.

Method:
1. Heat 5 cups of water in a big sauce pan because you will need to use a spoon to pour/re-pour the mixture from the top. Once it starts boiling, add 2 tsps. of green tea leaves and cardamoms.
2. Lower the heat to medium and keep boiling for at least 10 - 15 minutes, the mixture will reduce to about half.
3. Add 2 pinches of bicarbonate soda (meetha soda), this will create the pink shade in the Kashmiri tea. Let it boil for about 5 - 10 minutes on medium flame  and it will turns dark brown/red color.
4. Take 3 cups of cold water and add it slowly while taking a cup and pouring/re-pouring the tea from height, it will create a slight froth on the top of the tea. Keep doing this for 5 - 10 minutes and you will notice that as you keep on doing it, the color will turn more red.
5. Once the color turns red, add milk to taste (I added about 1 - 2 cups but you can add more); add pinch of salt, sugar to taste.
6. Once color is pink as per your liking after mixing milk you can pour it in team cups/mugs.
6. Add crushed almonds & pistachios for garnishing. You can add fresh cream on top as well.
Please note that authentic Kashmiri tea is salty and they don't add sugar but its up to you if you like it salty or with sugar!