Ingredients
| Kashmir Green tea leaves | 1.5 tea spoon |
| Water | 2 cups |
| Baking soda | a pinch |
| Salt | ½ tea spoon |
Stage II
| Water | 1 liter |
| Cardamom green | 3 nos |
| Milk full cream | ½ liter |
| Shelled Walnuts | 30 gms |
| Feni optional (Type of Fried Indian puff paste) | 150 gms |
| Cream or Malai | 100 gms |
(Made by boiling of the full cream milk Cooling it and scalding the cream which has deposited on top)
Process
- In a stainless steel pan take 2 cups of cold water.
- Add tea leaves, baking soda and salt and bring to boil on a simmering heat.
- Let it simmer and while simmering keep lifting the boiling liquid with a round spoon to oxidize the tea liquor.
- Keep simmering till about the tea liquor is reduced to about half a cup and deep pink color has developed.
- Add a liter of cold water to the reduced pink tea liquor.
- Crush the cardamoms and add to the tea liquor.
- Bring the tea liquor to boil and add milk.
- Soak the walnuts water for about half an hour, remove the skin and crush them roughly.
- Add to the boiling tea.
- You can also use almond flakes instead of walnuts.
- Add about 20 gms of pheni (This is optional and mostly is consumed without it)
- Pour the tea into tea cups without straining the leaves
- (Often people chew the leaves after having the tea).
- Garnish with Malai on top and serve hot ( Malai is also optional).
Noon Chai or Sheer Chai (Kashmir Pink Tea)
(Malai is a thick yellowish layer of fat and coagulated proteins forms on the surface, which is skimmed off.)
From the Kitchen of Chef Umesh Mattoo
Recipe Copyright @ Chef Umesh Mattoo & Gypsyescapade Food & Chefs
