A Vintage Kashmiri Pink Tea Recipe (Noon Chai)
The Kashmiri pink tea recipe has a thick, rich, buttery, slightly thick, deep pink, and pleasant texture. It has a mystical cardamom and saffron fragrance.
Equipment
- 1 Heating Pan
- 1 Spoon
- 2-3 Mugs
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups Water
- 1 Star anise
- 10-12 Cloves
- 8-10 Cardamoms
- ½ stick Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Salt
- 6 tsp Kashmiri tea leaves or Green tea
- ¼ tsp Baking soda
- 1 cup Ice water
- 2 cups Milk
- 2 ½ tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Pistachio
- 1 tsp Almonds
- ½ cup Cream optional
Instructions
- Put water, star anise, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, baking soda, and Kashmiri chai (green tea leaves) in a pan.
- Stir thoroughly with a spoon and bring to a simmer. Keep vigorously pouring liquid using a spoon.
- Allow the tea mixture to rest for a good while before boiling it and cooking it for exactly one minute.
- Add cold water after turning off the heat. Ice-cold water is added to maintain the vibrant pink color.
- With the spoon, carefully pour it once more for approximately a minute.
- Restart the heat and allow the mixture to boil for 10 minutes over medium heat.
- Add salt and sugar. Re-boil the liquid.
- Add the milk to the steeping tea mixture while continuing to mix.
- Allow to boil for 10 minutes. This tea will become stronger, richer, and creamier the longer it is boiled.
- Pour the tea into mugs and top with chopped almonds or dried fruit.
- Serve it alongside your preferred snacks and enjoy it.
Notes
- Without adding milk, keep this tea in the flask in the refrigerator for up to two days. Whenever you wish to drink this tea, add milk and re-boil it.
- I advise adding saffron because it gives the drink a pleasant flavor.
- Use Kashmiri tea for the best results; if you don't have any, you can substitute green tea, although, in my personal experience, green tea does not produce a pink color while tasting extremely close to Kashmiri tea.
- As an alternative, you can use pink food coloring. But that is a hack and not the real deal.