Kashmiri Chai (Pink Tea) the Pakistani Way
- Serves: 4 People
- Prepare Time: 5 minutes
- Cooking Time: 35 minutes
- Calories: 190
- Difficulty: Medium
Kashmiri chai, also called pink tea, noon chai or sheer chai, is the creamy, rose-pink tea served at Pakistani weddings, winter gatherings and late-night food streets in Lahore and Karachi. It is not flavoured with anything pink: the colour comes from green tea leaves, a pinch of baking soda and a lot of aeration, the step most recipes online skip.
The method is simple once you know it. You boil Kashmiri green tea leaves hard with baking soda until the water turns a deep wine red, then add ice-cold water and aerate it by ladling it up high, again and again. That shock and the air are what turn the tea pink once the milk goes in. Rushing this part gives you a brown or grey tea, so give it the full ten minutes.
Abroad, look for Kashmiri chai leaves or plain loose gunpowder green tea in Pakistani and Indian grocers or online. Whole milk gives the best colour and body. In Pakistan it is often lightly salted; we sweeten it lightly, as most families in the UK, US and the Gulf prefer, and finish it with crushed pistachios and almonds.
Ingredients tap to tick off
Directions tap a step when done
- Put the tea leaves, cardamom, cinnamon (if using) and 4 cups (950 ml) of water in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add the baking soda, it will foam up, and keep boiling hard for 15 to 20 minutes until the liquid reduces to about 1 cup (240 ml) and turns a deep red.
- Pour in the ice-cold water. This sudden temperature drop is what sets the colour.
- Aerate the tea: scoop it up with a ladle and pour it back from a height, or pour it between two pans, for 8 to 10 minutes. It will turn a darker, wine-like red.
- Strain the tea concentrate and return it to the pan. At this point you can cool it and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Add the milk, sugar and salt and bring to a gentle boil, ladling from a height a few more times. The tea will turn pink.
- Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until creamy, then pour into cups and top with crushed pistachios and almonds.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is my Kashmiri chai not pink?
The usual reasons are too little boiling, skipping the cold water shock or not aerating long enough. Reduce the tea to a deep red, add ice-cold water and ladle it for the full 8 to 10 minutes before adding milk.
Which tea leaves should I use?
Use Kashmiri chai leaves or plain loose green gunpowder tea. Regular black tea or green tea bags will not turn pink.
Is Kashmiri chai sweet or salty?
In Kashmir it is traditionally salty (noon chai). In Pakistani cities and abroad it is usually served lightly sweet with a pinch of salt, which is how this recipe makes it.
Can I make it ahead for guests?
Yes. Make the red tea concentrate up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Heat it with milk and sugar just before serving.
Kashmiri Chai (Pink Tea) the Pakistani Way
- Serves: 4 People
- Prepare Time: 5 minutes
- Cooking Time: 35 minutes
- Calories: 190
- Difficulty: Medium
Kashmiri chai, also called pink tea, noon chai or sheer chai, is the creamy, rose-pink tea served at Pakistani weddings, winter gatherings and late-night food streets in Lahore and Karachi. It is not flavoured with anything pink: the colour comes from green tea leaves, a pinch of baking soda and a lot of aeration, the step most recipes online skip.
The method is simple once you know it. You boil Kashmiri green tea leaves hard with baking soda until the water turns a deep wine red, then add ice-cold water and aerate it by ladling it up high, again and again. That shock and the air are what turn the tea pink once the milk goes in. Rushing this part gives you a brown or grey tea, so give it the full ten minutes.
Abroad, look for Kashmiri chai leaves or plain loose gunpowder green tea in Pakistani and Indian grocers or online. Whole milk gives the best colour and body. In Pakistan it is often lightly salted; we sweeten it lightly, as most families in the UK, US and the Gulf prefer, and finish it with crushed pistachios and almonds.
Ingredients
Directions
- Put the tea leaves, cardamom, cinnamon (if using) and 4 cups (950 ml) of water in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add the baking soda, it will foam up, and keep boiling hard for 15 to 20 minutes until the liquid reduces to about 1 cup (240 ml) and turns a deep red.
- Pour in the ice-cold water. This sudden temperature drop is what sets the colour.
- Aerate the tea: scoop it up with a ladle and pour it back from a height, or pour it between two pans, for 8 to 10 minutes. It will turn a darker, wine-like red.
- Strain the tea concentrate and return it to the pan. At this point you can cool it and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Add the milk, sugar and salt and bring to a gentle boil, ladling from a height a few more times. The tea will turn pink.
- Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until creamy, then pour into cups and top with crushed pistachios and almonds.
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I learned to cook beside my mother and grandmother. After years in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where friends kept asking me for a proper karahi or biryani, I started PakistanRecipes.com to share authentic Pakistani home cooking, written for kitchens anywhere in the world.
