Kashmiri Noon Chai, also known as pink tea or gulabi chai, is a special drink from Kashmir. This salty, pink tea is decorated with pistachios and almonds. It's a classic recipe with an amazing flavor. Let's see how it's made!
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It's wonderful to relive childhood memories, especially through old writings. Reading about teenage problems, plans to talk to crushes, disagreements with parents about going out, and friendship dramas really brings back those years! Recently, my mother brought me some of my old diaries.
I kept diaries as a teenager, and my mother stored them for years at our house. I read through seven diaries and got to experience a lovely part of my past again!
Memories of Kashmir
My diary has details about my first trip to Kashmir, those seventeen amazing days, like when we were stuck in Pahalgam for six days because of a landslide. Reading my diary takes me back to that time. I even found notes about what we ate. And I saw a mention of a pink drink on the yellowed pages! It's a well-known drink from Kashmir: Pink Tea, or Noon Chai.
I first tasted it around age 12 or 13 during the failed trip to the Amarnath Temple in 1997. Usually, I don't like tea, but this one is different. I was very surprised the first time I tried it.
Ever since, I've remembered that drink. I've had it a few times at Delhi Haat. While reading my diary, I thought about writing this post. When I saw the Arabian cup and saucer set Mehebub got me from Riyadh, I decided how to write it, especially after enjoying my Pink Tea, also known as Kashmiri Noon Chai.
Kashmiri Noon Chai
Kashmiri Pink Tea, or Noon Chai, is pink because Baking Soda is used when making it. Salt is also added, which is why it's called Noon Chai. I like to add a bit of sugar and salt. The tea leaves are Kashmiri Kahwa Green Tea, not regular tea leaves. Spices like Green Cardamom, Cinnamon, and Star Anise are also added for flavor.
The tea is finished with chopped Pistachios and Almonds, making it beautiful and rich, just like Kashmir.
I struggled a lot and failed nearly five times before finally achieving the right tea color! Essentially, the techniques I learned came from experimenting and figuring things out through mistakes
Step-by-step
Time needed: 50 minutes
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First, combine cold water and ice cubes in a large pot. Then, bring the water to a boil, adding Kashmiri green tea (Kahwa), green cardamom, a cinnamon stick, and star anise. Let it simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, until the water reduces to one-third of its original amount.
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Next, stir in salt and baking soda. The tea should become frothy. Bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring continuously.
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Add milk and continue to boil gently for 5-6 minutes.
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Now, add sugar and boil for another minute, or until the sugar is completely dissolved.
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Turn off the heat and strain the tea. It should have a delicate pink hue. Pour the tea into your favorite cup, garnish with chopped pistachios and almonds, and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Known as Noon Chai, or Gulabi Chai, this special drink comes from Kashmir. It's made with gunpowder tea, which is green tea leaves rolled into tiny balls, along with milk and baking soda. You might also hear it called sheer chai, since "sheer" means milk.
Well, instead of using black tea like traditional chai, pink chai uses gentle green tea leaves. This gives it a lighter, but still delicious, taste and its famous pink color. With creamy milk and a touch of baking soda that creates a lovely frothy texture, every sip of pink chai is like taking a trip to experience the culture of Kashmir.
Recipe Card
Kashmiri Noon Chai or Pink Tea or Gulabi Chai
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Kashmiri Green Tea Kahwa
- 10 Pistachios Chopped
- 10 Almond Chopped
- 2 Cinnamon stick
- 6 Green Cardamom
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoon Sugar
- 500 ml Full-Fat Milk
- 500 ml Cold Water
- 10 Ice cubes
Instructions
- First, in a large pot, combine cold water and ice cubes.
- Add Kashmiri green tea (Kahwa), green cardamom, a cinnamon stick, and star anise.
- Bring the water to a simmer over low hea.
- Let it reduce to about one-third of its original volume, which should take around 30 minutes.
- Next, add salt and baking soda to the tea and stir.
- The tea should become frothy. Stir well and bring it to a boil again.
- Now, pour in the milk and simmer gently for 5-6 minutes.
- Stir in the sugar and continue to heat for about a minute, until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Turn off the heat and strain the tea. It should now have a delicate pink hue.
- Pour the tea into your cup and garnish with chopped pistachios and almonds. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Tips
For a deeper pink color, boil the tea longer with the baking soda. Ideally, start with about a liter of water and reduce it to 250ml while simmering with baking soda and Kahwa tea leaves. Although using half a liter of water boiled for 30 minutes also works well. Adding sugar is optional, as the traditional recipe does not include it.Nutrition
Related Recipes
Have you tried the Kashmiri Noon Chai recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Please let me know your experience, and feel free to send a photo to [email protected]. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.
Here's the Kashmiri Pink Tea/ Noon Chai Recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
Subhadip Mukherjee says
Ami khabo
Debjani says
Bari aste hobe... ami banate raji achi
Subhadip Mukherjee says
Koto number bus?
Debjani says
Kobe ascho bolo tar por bus no bolbo 🙂