Want to be a Kashmiri Chai maestro? Follow these step by step instructions for a recipe that provides authentic rich flavour with less than ten minutes of active cooking! Also included: my must know tips and tricks, fixes, and a cheat sheet for scaling it up or down!
🔍 Quick Look: Kashmiri Chai
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 2 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 1 hour (only 7 active cooking minutes!)
- 🕒 Total Time: 1 hour
- 👥 Servings: 10-12
- 🔥 Cook Method: Stovetop
- ⭐ Difficulty: Medium
- Key to Success: Aerating! Everything else is hands off
Can't believe I was able to make a successful pink cup of kashmiri chai!! Thank you so much for this recipe ♥️ - Rameen Shahzad
Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Kashmiri Chai
- The Ultimate Winter Drink
- Why do you call it Pakistani Kashmiri Chai?
- Getting the right Ingredients for Pink Chai
- Why is Kashmiri Tea pink?
- Level with me: Do I need to cook it for this long?
- What to watch for when making Pink Tea
- Storing the Kahwa:
- Kahwa Cheat Sheet: How to scale the recipe
- Tips and Tricks for Perfect Kashmiri Chai
- Kashmiri Chai FAQs
- Classic Pakistani Drinks
- Kashmiri Chai
- Comments
The Ultimate Winter Drink
Most of the Kashmiri Chai I have had in my life has been served to me in styrofoam cups. Sometimes it was ladled into them late at night at winter time mehndis with the pulsing rhythm of dance performances in the background and others it was graciously filled by a family member while the loud buzz of excited chatter enveloped the room. With it's beautiful flavour, unusual spices and pretty colour, this drink is an iconic part of Pakistani cuisine.
Why do you call it Pakistani Kashmiri Chai?
The qualifier exists because what we call Kashmiri Chai is actually not entirely authentic to Kashmir.
Kashmiris make a beautiful beverage called Noon Chai which is decidedly savoury.
This does not pretend to be that! Kashmiri friends also regularly tell me that their version is not only savory, but made with cream not milk.
Truth: I used to call it Karachi Style Kashmiri Chai, but then my Lahori friends and those from other parts of Pakistan pointed out that they too make it exactly this way.
Getting the right Ingredients for Pink Chai
Kashmiri Green Tea Leaves - the star, please buy tea leaves labeled as Kashmiri for optimal results OR if they are unavailable then I have been told by friends who use this recipe that any strong Middle Eastern brand of green tea works too!
PLEASE make sure they are fresh! That box from two years ago will not hit the same!
Baking Soda - this is there to facilitate the pinkness, some recipes will use a lot more, but in my extensive testing and retesting I have learnt that unless you are using more whole spices to mask the aftertaste the baking soda does leave an unpleasant metallic taste. It is also NOT traditionally used and a modern day inclusion
Milk: The milk affects both colour and taste - generally I prefer evaporated milk here for flavour, but whole milk produces the best color. I do know of people who use half n half as well, but that is a smidge rich for my taste.
Salt: yes you have to, that's all.
Whole Spices: I use them lightly because when you cook it right Kashmiri Chai has a lovely savory depth of it's own. However, if you love star anise in it please add away!
Why is Kashmiri Tea pink?
Science my friends is a wonderful thing.
1.) In the first cook the green tea leaves react with alkaline baking soda to create a maroon base for the tea.
2.) When you add ice cold water you essentially shock the tea into preserving its color
3.) You then aerate it to enhance the hue and flavour.
Level with me: Do I need to cook it for this long?
Short answer: YES.
The flavour difference between Kashmiri Chai that is correctly brewed and isn't, is the difference between stove top chai and chai made with boiling water and a teabag. As someone who officially has made every iteration of this recipe on the internet I can assure you this is the best.
As the tea leaves for this Pink Tea simmer away they release their flavour into the kahwa. Given that the entire simmering process is hands off please let the tea leaves do their thing and give you the wonderful cup that you deserve.
What to watch for when making Pink Tea
Kashmiri Chai is often over complicated, but let me break it down for you to show you how straightforward it really is.
- Combine all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil
- As it cooks it will start to look maroon
- Sieve the tea leaves out
- Aerate vigorously with ice water - the tea will take on this maroon colour
- Add milk and bring to a simmer (add nuts if using!)
- Pour and sweeten if wanted!
TIP: I often do the aerating in my sink to contain stains from splashing!
Storing the Kahwa:
This recipe (which can be easily halved) makes a generous amount of kahwa. You can store it in the fridge for upto two weeks, but please note the color does dull over time.
Kahwa Cheat Sheet: How to scale the recipe
However, if you want to make a smaller quantity refer to the graphic below!
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Kashmiri Chai
Here are some must read tips if you are making it for the first time!
- Shock with the coldest water you can to produce that beautiful color
- Don't skimp on the aerating
- Make sure you actually simmer the kahwa and milk together for at least 2 minutes.
- Test a small quantity first so that you know the tea 'works' and if it needs trouble shooting (see below).
Kashmiri Chai FAQs
okay folks, deep breath. Odds are it still tastes fine, but if you want you can always add a little more baking soda to your kahwa (tiny amounts please) to see if that helps the colour. Too much and you will ruin the taste!
For the future remember fresher tea leaves and energetic aerating!
Oops. Okay so here's what you can do - we are going to add a few more pods of lightly bruised cardamom and fat pinches of nuts, give it a simmer, and then strain out the nuts and cardamom pods. The combination of the two should cut the bitter after taste.
This is very much a taste and preferences thing. I use whole milk because I love the color/ flavour. Evaporated milk is tasty, but the tea takes a warmer hue. Cream is what is traditionally used in (unsweetened) Kashmiri Chai.
Classic Pakistani Drinks
Oh and if you're wondering what to serve with Kashmiri Chai can I just say that this Cream Cheese Pound Cake is PERFECT with it! No cream cheese? No problem. Try this Yogurt Cake instead!
Thank you for being here! Made this Kashmiri Chai? I'd love to hear your comments - share them below and do leave a recipe rating! You can also tag me on Instagram @flourandspiceblog
Kashmiri Chai
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp Kashmiri Tea Leaves
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ¼-1/2 tsp salt
- 5-6 Cardamom Pods
- 1 Badiyan ka Phool (Optional)
- 1 small piece of cinnamon stick (optional)
- 2 cups ice cold water (I mix mine with ice)
- finely chopped pistachios & almonds
To brew the tea
- ⅔ cup milk per serving you make
- additional minced nuts
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except the ice cold water to a pot with 8 cups of cold tap water.
- Bring to a boil, simmer for one hour or until the liquid is halved, it's okay if it reduces a little more but please do cook it down.
- Sieve the green tea leaves out.
- Now get ready for a work out. Pour the ice cold water from a height into the tea concentrate.
- Pour back and forth from bowl to bowl or use a ladle to drop it back into the bowl from a height to aerate the tea. I suggest doing this in your sink or a prepped surface area since it does splash a bit.
- After a full 5-8 minutes of doing this the foam the tea produces will take on a rich bodied pink
- Bring the tea mix back to a boil, bring to a boil. The "kahwa" is ready.
- To make each cup of tea: Take a ladle (about ⅓ of a cup) of the kahwa, bring to a boil, add ⅔ cup milk and a splash of water. At this stage I like to throw in an extra cardamom pod too. Cook for 2-3 minutes and serve topped with a scant spoon of crushed pistachios
Video
Notes
- This makes a generous amount of kahwa, for smaller quantities refer to the infographic in the post!
- In the original recipe I had suggested cooking for two hours for the large quantity, but after experimenting a few times with the quantities I think about an hour or until the kahwa halves works
- If this is your first time making it then I suggest you read the blog post, especially the tips and tricks section!
Amel Hamed says
Hello,
I am making this Chai for a party we are hosting Saturday. My question is how many cans of evaporated milk do I need for the whole batch. I am doubling the batch so I have ~22 servings and the venue who is providing food will reheat the Khawei but I need to to be able to tell them how much milk for the pot.
Thanks
Sarah Mir says
Hi Amel!
So evaporated milk has a more concentrated flavour than regular. I use 2/3 cup regular milk per serving which is about 150ml so for 30 servings I'd be at 4.5 litres. Evaporatedd milk is stronger so what I'd actually recommend is thinning out the kahwa with water (let's say 1/3 cup per cup and adding in 1/3 cup of evaporated milk). The best way for you to figure out your perfect ratio is making one test cup at home for yourself. If you like the 1/3 cup then that's about 80ml and 80 * 30 gives you 2.4 litres worth. My cans here are 354 ml so that is 7 cans for me.
Hafiz Umar says
I love this chayee kashmiree chayeee is the abest thing for mood happy 😊
Rameen Shahzad says
Can’t believe I was able to make a successful pink cup of kashmiri chai!! Thank you so much for this recipe ♥️
Sarah Mir says
How wonderful to hear! Thank YOU for this review!
Paul says
Where can I get Kashmiri Tea Leaves? I don't want to get the wrong ones. Thanks. Shukriya. شکریہ
Paul
Sarah Mir says
The Indian and Pakistani stores typically carry them! Hope that helps!
Mehreen says
I think this was the first recipe I tried from Sarah's blog and it turned out extremely delicious! For me kashmiri chai is a treat that we used to get at weddings growing up and I'm so glad the recipe turned out exactly as I'd hoped. Reminded me of my childhood winters!
Sarah Mir says
That childhood winters reference gave me goosebumps. Thank you so much for the review and for trying this recipe - it means a lot!
Heather says
My aunt married into an Afghan family and I have fond memories of joining her for weekly dinners with her in laws. I was amazed at the both the amount of food and the number cousins present! My uncle’s family served the most amazing pink tea and I’ve spent about twenty years wishing I could find it again. Today, following your recipe, I was able to make my own cup! Delightful!! Thank you!!
Sarah Mir says
I cannot tell you just how much it warmed my heart to read that! thank you so very much for trying this recipe and for sharing that!
Kanwal says
Hi Sarah. Is there a certain brand you use for the tea leaves?
Sarah Mir says
Hi Again Kanwal! I use Handi brand ones!
Maryem says
Sarah, this was such a timely post!! I had been craving pink tea and was missing the cups we would get at home thanks to mom making kavah and keep in fridge always!!
As you know with parents.. everything is andaza.. so I'm so glad u wrote drown thr maths!! I made the 7cups from your cheat sheet..and it's safe to say I'll be making a bigger batch for easy use tonight!!! THANK YOU!!!!
P.s. your recipe for shami kababs are in my instant pot right now, will post my feedback soon!
Sarah Mir says
Woohoo!!!! I’m so so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!!! Can’t wait to hear about the Kabab!
Aamna says
I have been craving this but haven't made it yet cuz there's no gas in Karachi! But the video is so satisfying. Will definitely try it in a few weeks.
HY says
Thank you so much, it really works, I made pink tea on my first try! :,)
Sarah Mir says
Wonderful!!!! Now you have me wanting to make some too!
Saira Raheel says
I tried the Kashmiri Chai recipe and it turned out amazing. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Your measuremenmt and instructions were to the point. The recipe is super helpful and i got lot of praises for the chai i made at a dawat. 😍🥰. Thank u so much
Sarah Mir says
So so appreciate you taking the time to share that! Thank you Saira!
Zahra says
This was SO GOOD. Delicious and such a gorgeous pink color. I’m going to make another batch so I have plenty for Ramadan!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
HOW WONDERFUL! Thank you for sharing!!!!!
frenchpress says
That's perfect! Thank you so much for responding. <3
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
my pleasure!
frenchpress says
Thank you so much! This is getting me closer to what I was looking for. Question: before adding the cold water, how much should be left of the hot kahwa? I know to continue adding if it's dipping below 1/4 of original amount, but what's ideal to end up with before the shocking stage?
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
I aim for a rough third! Hope this works for you!!!
Fariha Qureshi says
Hi.. Could you please do a you tube video making it.. I learn better from visuals... My son is 11 and desparate for pink tea. Thank you x
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Fariha! I can definitely record a video and put it in the post, but the only tricky part is the ucchhaalna in the sense that you need to do it for a little bit of time. Other than that it's no effort!