Name: Kashmiri Noon Chai (Pink Tea)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Kashmiri Green Tea Leaves, authentic Noon Chai leaves; ¼ tsp Baking Soda, essential for the pink color; 2 cup Water, ice cold water is needed later; 1 cup Milk, full fat; ¼ tsp Salt, it's a salty tea!; 1 Green Cardamom, crushed; ½ Star Anise, optional, but adds great aroma; ½ tbsp Almonds, finely crushed, for garnish; ½ tbsp Pistachios, finely crushed, for garnish

45 mintotal

Prep 5 min · Cook 40 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: Mild

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Ingredients

1 tbspKashmiri Green Tea Leavesauthentic Noon Chai leaves
¼ tspBaking Sodaessential for the pink color
2 cupWaterice cold water is needed later
1 cupMilkfull fat
¼ tspSaltit's a salty tea!
1Green Cardamomcrushed
½Star Aniseoptional, but adds great aroma
½ tbspAlmondsfinely crushed, for garnish
½ tbspPistachiosfinely crushed, for garnish

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

No inactive time, but the tea needs steady boiling and repeated aeration to develop its pink color.

Method

In a saucepan, boil normal water. Add the Kashmiri tea leaves, crushed cardamom, and star anise.
Add the baking soda. The mixture will immediately fizz and turn dark brown. Simmer on medium heat until the water reduces to half (about 15-20 minutes).
15–20 min
Now comes the crucial step (Aeration): Pour ICE COLD water directly into the boiling concoction. This shocks the tea and forces the color out.
Use a ladle to repeatedly scoop up the tea and pour it back into the pot from a height for 5-10 minutes. The liquid will slowly turn deep maroon-red.
5–10 min
Once the deep red extract (Kahwa) is ready, strain it into another clean pot.
Add the milk to the strained extract. As soon as the milk mixes, the tea will magically turn into a beautiful pastel pink.
Add salt (and a tiny pinch of sugar if you want to balance it). Bring it to a rolling boil.
Pour into cups, garnish generously with crushed almonds and pistachios, and serve hot.

How to tell it's done

A creamy, frothy, milky beverage with a distinct salty-nutty flavor and a stunning pink visual appeal.

Getting it right

Tip

Patient aeration, by scooping and pouring from a height, is what helps build a bright pink color without artificial food coloring.

What to serve it with

Traditionally served in the mornings with Kashmiri breads like Girda, Baqarkhani, or Kulcha.

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