How to make Kashmiri Chai, a traditional milky tea from the region of Kashmir. This tea is made with the addition of sea salt, giving it a savory punch.
Author: Nisha Vedi Pawar
Recipe type: Drinks
Serves: 4-5 cups
Ingredients
3 cups water
3 cups ice cold water
2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons Kashmiri Chai or Pure Green Tea
5-6 Green Cardamom Pods
1 whole Cinnamon Stick
1 Star Anise
¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
3 tablespoons Sugar (you can adjust this to taste)
Garnish
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon crushed pistachio and almonds (about 5-6 nuts each)
Method
In a medium size saucepan over high heat, add three cups water, tea leaves, salt, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon stick and star anise. Bring the tea to a boil, educe heat to medium and let the tea evaporate until there is about 1 cup left -- this will take about 10-15 minutes.
Add the three cups of ice cold water and "phento". Phento in Hindi means to whisk/beat vigorously. In this case the best way to phento this tea is to continuously pour it from one saucepan/pot to another or pull the tea by using a ladle, and pouring it in and out of the ladle. Do this at least 12-15 times. You will immediately start noticing the tea becoming more and more pink.
Once this is done, strain and pour concoction into a heat proof jar.
In the same saucepan add the milk, and one cup of the strained tea concoction. Add sugar and bring the tea to a simmer before serving.
Serve the hot Kashmiri Chai in your favorite tea cups and garnish with crushed almonds and pistachios.
Notes
Refrigerate the concoction you don't use for up to a week. When ready to use warm 2 cups of milk for every 1 cup of tea concoction.
Recipe by Love Laugh Mirch at https://lovelaughmirch.com/kashmiri-chai/