How to make Kashmiri Chai at home.

Step by step

The long simmer is the part you cannot rush.

1. 1

   Boil the tea

   Bring the water, tea leaves and cardamom to a boil in a pot.

2. 2

   Add the baking soda

   Add a pinch of baking soda and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is dark red and reduced by about half.

3. 3

   Aerate

   Using a ladle, scoop up the tea and pour it back into the pot from a height, repeating for a few minutes. This deepens the colour.

4. 4

   Add the milk

   Pour in the cold milk and the cream, and stir. The tea will turn pink as the milk combines with it.

5. 5

   Sweeten and warm

   Add the sugar (or salt), stir and warm gently without boiling hard.

6. 6

   Strain and top

   Strain into cups and sprinkle with the almonds and pistachios.

01

Tips for a better result

• Use a very small pinch of baking soda. Too much tastes soapy.
• Pour from a height. It aerates the tea, which deepens the colour.
• Add cold milk to the hot concentrated tea for the best colour.

03

Shopping for it in Canada

• Tea: Kashmiri chai leaves from Indian grocers, or gunpowder green tea.
• Nuts: unsalted almonds and pistachios, from the baking aisle.
• Cardamom: green pods, from any supermarket spice aisle.
• Milk: whole milk gives the best colour and creaminess.