Authentic Kashmiri Tea

A few days back I shared a quick way of making kashmiri tea, today I am posting the authentic way of making kashmiri chai, although sugar is not added but you can always add it to suit your taste buds. The authenctic way of making tea takes around hour and a half to get ready, off course you don’t need to stand in front of the stove for the whole time, just put the pan on medium low heat and carry on with your chores …..

Ingredients:

4 cups of water

3 tsp kashmiri tea leaves/green tea leaves

2-3 green cardamom pods (roughly crushed)

1 inch piece of cinnamon stick

1 flower of  star anis  (optional)

1/2 tsp salt

Sugar (as per taste)

Milk as required

1-2 tsp of ground pistachios and almonds to garnish (optional)

 Method:

1) Add the green tea leaves, cinnamon stick, star anis flower and cardamoms with 4 cups of  water in a saucepan and let it boil on medium-low flame for about 45 minutes to an hour or until it is reduced to half. 

2) Add in 2 cups of cold water and let it boil again till the water is reduced to half again, add in 2 more cups of water, ½ tsp of salt and whisk the tea vigorously, you should have lovely burgundy color to your tea by now.

3) To check for the desired pink colour you can add a few drops of tea in a bit of milk. if the desired pink color is not achived then try adding in more tea leaves and whisking it vigorously, strain the tea and use it as required. 

4) The ratio of milk to tea depends on your own preference, you can use 25% tea and 75%milk or, half  a cup of  tea added to half a cup of milk. 

5) To prepare your perfect cup of kashmiri chai put your desired amount of milk in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil, then add in the desired amount of kehwa and sugar,  let it boil for 5 minutes., whisk the tea to achieve a slight froth, you will have lovely pink color to your tea by now, pour it in to cups and enjoy ;)

Note: If you are unable to get the pink color, the 3^rd time when you add water, take a ladle, fill it with the tea and pour it back to the pan from a little height. Doing it at least ten to twenty times will give the final dark maroon/ burgundy color. You can keep the left over strained tea in fridge for 2-3 days for later use.