kashmiri chai as one who grew up in a home where kashmiri chai was made on a regular basis, and still is, especially in winters. i would like to share the version made in our families.
3 cups water
2 tablespoon good kashmiri chai leaves (not for qahwa)
meetha soda at the tip of teaspoon
fresh milk with cream or 18% milk
salt
put the water,tea leaves and meetha soda for boiling on medium high heat and let it boil. once it starts boiling let it boil for five minutes. then add 1 cup cold water. let it come to a boil again. you will notice the colour has deepened. take it off heatand pour out contents into anothe jug or container. when pouring out take your hands as high as you can. then repeat the process 5 to 6 times. it becomes frothy and colour changes to deep purple.
then strain away tea leaves and add milk. it should become pink like a dusty rose. how much milk is upto how creamy you like it.
like we like it with the malai as well . bring it to a few boils and when you serve put a spoon full of malai or cream .we use salt never put sugar but then again , there are many who only put sugar so its up to u. do try it and let me know.
I like kashmiri chai too much ,know its recipe but didnt try yet.we have a friend who belong to kashmir she gave me orignel tea from kashmir but i am so lazy that i didnt try it yet .anyway thanks for sharing the recipe .
I have tasted a salty type, and also one with almonds cinemmon etc inside it. The colour is a pinkish one i think. Here is a recipe i got for you people:
I dunno I sumhow like tha kashmiri chaye served at weddings and that sold in restaurants and chabas in pak…lekin ghar wali kabhi nahi pi…i just dont like the home-made taste
i used to love kashmiri chai in pak....never had it here...infact i never came across the tea leaves...what are they called..?
all i see is the green tea leaves...the one u make green tea/qehwa with...
and someone once said that its the same leaves u use for both...but i highly doubt it...
is it so..??
I forgot to mention, kashmiri chai is even tastier with kulcha's! Whenever i cant find them, i just use "bhakharkahnis" (type of butter pastry) or in the uk "butter puffs" (type of pastry biscuit) lol. You can eat/drink the way you like, but i put it inside the chai and eat it with a spoon, and then drink the tea! Enjoy Insha'ALLAH!!!
I dont think the subz chai's fresh flavour lasts more than a day (including its colour) even in the fridge, unless it strained and without milk. The chai needs to be brewed for a length of time using the right ingredients, if you want to be traditional, then use a "samovar" lol Its a type of mystical jug with a fire stove attatched within it...
dear friends, thanks for nice comments. though i am not directly from kashmir,but my family background is kashmiri. the method i contributed is not exactly as my elders used but i have discovered that this method is just as good and fast at the same time.
well alot of peolple like to add some elaichi for the fragrance. and some crushed nuts as well. its all a matter of personal choice.
as for the tea leaves i usually get itfrom pakistan. but a friend of mine said brooke bond has a gul e nasreen. which is supposed to be very good. i have not tried.
so good luck with your kashmiri chai!!!!!
well alot of peolple like to add some elaichi for the fragrance. and some crushed nuts as well. its all a matter of personal choice.
as for the tea leaves i usually get itfrom pakistan. but a friend of mine said brooke bond has a gul e nasreen. which is supposed to be very good. i have not tried.
so good luck with your kashmiri chai!!!!!
lol thanks! and thankyou so much for the nice topic! i was looking for that word elaichi (cardamom)! I shall try out your recipe some time Insha'ALLAH... :)
i would like to share an amusing incident regarding this chai. as far as i know, we and all our kashmiri relatives and friends make and drink the tea this way and with namak not sugar.
anyway, some years ago, my husbands friend( not kashmiri) came over to our place. he was very excited when he heard he would be served kashmiri chai.
so i brought the tea, with nice scoop of malai . he took one sip and said. but this has salt in it.
my husband said thats the way it should be taken. but anyway, he told me to get another cup with sugarin it.
my mother inlaw( god bless her soul) who was in the next room over heard the conversation. she said " yeh kaun hai jis ko sabz chai peeni ki tameez nahee hai, cheeni kaun dalta hai is chai mein?"
my husband said maa is coming to see you , us dost ne fatafat, auntie ke aane pehle, namkeen chai , ek saans mein,finish karke cup khali kardiya, aur jab auntie enter hui to kehne lagaa maaji, maine chai namak wali pee hai aur khatam bhi ho gayeee hai.
poor guy but it was really so funny the look on his face .
LOLZ!!! What a scene! Wish i was there to see it!!!
I went to a wedding once and it was the strangest of weddings! My relative was getting married who was from dubai. There was some nice hot fresh kashmiri chai being served. I poured in some cups and took one myself. I sat down and started speaking to someone. I found out after a while he was actually my cousin lolz. As we were talking the wind started to pick up and as we were in a large marquee/tent some breeze came in, suddenly the stage where the bride and groom were sitting collapsed and they fell down, also a girl was scratched and had to go hospital. The girls parents started to argue and the woman insulted the guy infront of everyone! Then later on the wind started blowing and moved some tissues and things around inside. I was happily drinking my tea and talking to my cousin when all of a sudden i saw the tents main central pole shake from side to side. I stopped talking because i was shocked, my cousin said are you ok or something lol then 'tak' it broke off and there were some people under where it was falling. I wanted to shout out 'look out' but it was too late! The end fell straight onto this guys head whilst he was chatting to someone! Everyone went oooooooooowh! I and many others went to see if he was ok, sat him down and gave him some water. He was bleeding abit, but more shocked than hurt. Alhamdulilah he was ok i think. Then some pandh (musical fakirs) came around asking for money, and my uncle told them that my other uncle was the brides father, when actually he wasnt! After that they wouldnt leave him and kept pestering him in front of everyone! After a long time we gave them the money they asked for and told them to go, but the person said im not leaving till i have eaten and drank. He and the others went in and ate/drank to thier full, and on top of that, took crates of drink with them lolz! All through the coach journey back from gujrat to lahore i was laughing so much. Then when we went to the second part of the wedding in lahore the same musical fakirs saw my uncle and ran up to him again! They wouldnt leave him or even let him pull his car out lolz! I told the groom, 'im never going to forget your wedding man' and we both laughed!!!
hey, where can i find tea leaves for kashmiri chai in Toronto? is it available in Afghani stores? or like in Fortinos/Dominion/Loblaws as they have a huge vareity of tealeaves?
