Kashmiri Chai (Pink Noon Chai with Pistachios and Almonds)
A soft pink, lightly salted milk tea made by boiling green tea leaves with a little baking soda, then finishing with milk and crushed nuts. It is a warming winter cup with a rich, silky body.
Ingredients
Equipment: Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, ladle, fine strainer, small bowl for ice water
Method
Put the 750 ml water, tea leaves, baking soda, cardamom and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. The water will foam and darken quickly.
Reduce the heat to medium and let it boil steadily, stirring now and then, until the liquid has reduced by about one-third and is a deep reddish-brown.
Pour in one-third of the ice-cold water and bring back to a boil. Ladle the tea up and pour it back into the pan from a height a few times. Repeat with the remaining ice water in two more rounds, boiling for about 3 minutes each time, until the liquid is a dark, rich maroon.
Add the milk and half of the crushed nuts. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring so the milk does not catch on the base.
Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, ladling and pouring the chai back into the pan every minute or so. It is ready when it turns a soft, even pink and tastes rounded, not grassy.
Stir in the sugar and salt, then taste and adjust. Strain into cups and top with the remaining pistachios and almonds. Serve hot.
Cooking tips
- The colour comes from a long boil, the baking soda and the aeration. Do not skip the ladling, as it helps the pink develop.
- Use a wide, heavy pan and watch it when the milk goes in. It can boil over quickly.
- Go easy on the baking soda. Too much gives a soapy taste. A quarter teaspoon is enough for this quantity.
- Salt is traditional in noon chai, but add it at the end so you can judge the balance.
Substitutions
- No Kashmiri chai leaves: use loose gunpowder green tea. Ordinary green tea bags give a paler result.
- Swap the sugar for honey, stirred in after the tea is off the heat.
- Use any mix of nuts you like. Chopped cashews work in place of almonds.
- For a richer cup, replace 100 ml of the milk with fresh cream (malai) at the end.
Serve with
"Serve in small cups with bakarkhani, sheermal, plain rusks or a plate of dry fruits. It is especially good on a cold morning or after dinner."
Storage
"Store leftover chai without the nut garnish in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days."
Reheating
"Warm gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often. Do not boil hard or the milk may split. Add a splash of milk if it has thickened."
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
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