How to Make Delicious Hot Kashmiri Pink Tea at Home

Making a cup of Kashmiri chai is a labour of love, but the taste is worth the time and effort. 

Here is a recipe that makes two cups of noon chai:

Ingredients

4 cups water (2 cups cold water)

4 green cardamoms

2 to 3 tsp green tea leaves

A pinch of baking soda or saffron (for the beautiful pink hue)

2 cups of milk

Salt and/or sugar (according to taste)

Crushed nuts (almonds and pistachios preferably)

Cream (optional)

Method

1. Pour two cups of water in a pot with a broad base. Crush green cardamoms in your hand until the seeds come out. Add both the seeds and shells in the water. Add the green tea leaves. Add the baking soda or saffron - it will give the tea its pink color.
   
   
   
   
2. Let the mixture simmer and boil for about 20 minutes, until the water is reduced by half. Now add two cups of cold water while the mixture is boiling and stir. After adding the water, let it simmer for five to 10 minutes. While it simmers, boil the milk in another pot (you can add more cardamoms to milk, if you want). Keep stirring the mixture.
   
   
   
   
3. Add the tea mixture to the milk. Then add salt or sugar or both, 
   according to your preference. Keep boiling the tea - the more you boil, the stronger the tea will be. Now finally pour the tea in cups, add the crushed nuts and enjoy a hot cup of noon chai.

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