• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Recipe52.com

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About Me
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Tea » Kashmiri Chai Recipe (Pink Tea)

    Mar 29, 2017 · Modified: Nov 2, 2020 by Mariam Sodawater · This post may contain affiliate links. 78 Comments

    Kashmiri Chai Recipe (Pink Tea)

    1.4K shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    4.97 from 31 votes
    pink tea recipe

    Kashmiri Chai or Pink tea recipe with a detailed illustration. Like many, I also came across this tea for the first time at one of the weddings. Getting a good Kashmiri tea in Karachi could be difficult and I had to go really far to get it. So making my own as per my taste was a quest.

    pink tea recipe

    In order to develop a deep pink color naturally, I did three attempts. The pink or gulabi color that developed in the third attempt was worth it. I have tried to give a detailed pictorial step by step so you can make it on the first try.

    Many people complain Kashmiri pink tea is just like 'badaam pista doodh' or 'hareera'. That is because many restaurants serve a very milky Kashmiri tea. The Kashmiri tea with less milk has a more intense Kashmiri tea flavor and warmth. So I like my homemade Kashmiri tea more than what is served at 'dhabba' or cafe.

    Kashmiri tea has very low-caffeine like other green tea compared to black tea. So doesn't hinder your sleep like black tea or chai.

    What more? It is quite nutritious and rich in milk, cream, nuts, and spices. Some people call it healthy for its nutritional richness but I feel it is quite dense in calories and not great for regular consumption if you want to lose weight.

    Kashmir and Pink Kashmiri tea

    Kashmir is heaven on earth and their culture, jewelry, and food all are fascinating. Even the Kashmiri people are very hospitable and beautiful.

    In the authentic Kashmiri tea, salt is added and it is called noon chai. But some non-Kashmiri people in my city (Karachi) add both salt and sugar so it's up to you. In Kashmir, where the temperature drops below zero degrees they add cream and butter along with powdered dry fruits to the tea. This makes this tea ideal for winters as it is filling and body warming. In my city, the temperature hardly goes below 10 degrees so we enjoy it without fats (like cream and butter) and with little dry fruits. So you adjust that too as per weather in your city.

    kashmiri tea recipe

    Tips for beginners

    The pink color in Kashmiri tea is the reaction of chlorophyll present in tea. So basically you have to cook the tea enough to get all the chlorophyll released into the water. You also need a little baking soda in tea to accelerate the reaction. A pinch is enough. Do NOT add more than that as too much baking soda can spoil the taste.

    Kashmiri Tea not turning pink

    This process of cooking pink might take place in 30 minutes and sometimes may need 45  minutes. If all water has evaporated and still you don't get a reddish color then add more water and cook more. Once the reaction has completed and we have a deep red color. We have to add ice-cold water. This shocks the tea and we get deeper red color.

    I'm trying to explain this so you can handle it if something goes wrong.  Like normal chai you can adjust the milk, sugar, and spices to your taste. I added only two spices but you can add more or none at all.

    Can I make Kashmiri Tea with Green Tea?

    Yes! you can make it with green tea too. Use good quality pure green tea. The cooking might be longer up to 1 hour until you see desired maroon color in Kehwa.

    How to make it?

    Add other spices in kashmiri tea.

    Take water and add Kashmiri tea leaves. Add cardamom.

    Add salt to pink tea.

    salt, cinnamon and bring it to boil.

    Add baking soda to kashmiri tea.

    Add ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda, you can skip baking soda if you decide to cook longer for 45-60 minutes.

    Boil kashmiri tea.

    Let it boil on medium flame.

    The color has begin to change boil further.

    The color changes. Continue boiling.

    Pink color of kashmiri tea is developing.

    You can see a slight pink color at this stage but keeping cooking,

    Check the deeper pink color of kashmiri tea.

    The water is reduced to half. And the color is deep red.

    Add icy cold water to kashmiri tea.

    Add icy cold water. And mix well for 1 minute.

    A lovely pink tea kahwa.

    Kehwa of Kashmiri tea is ready. You can strain and after cooling you store in fridge at this stage.

    Add milk to kashmiri tea.

    When you wish to make the tea add milk about ½ cup or more for each serving,

    add sugar to kashmiri chai.

    A beautiful pink color is visible. Add sugar 1 teaspoon for each serving.( Add only if you like it sweet, authentic Kashmiri tea is saltish and not sweet.)

    Tea the kashmiri pink tea simmer.

    Boil for another few minutes. Strain and add ¼ teaspoon pistachio and ¼ teaspoon almond in each serving. Serve hot.

    kashmiri tea recipe

    Hungry for more tea? Check these!

    • Chocolate Chai / Milk Tea
    • Orange Peel Tea
    • Ginger Chai / Milk Tea
    • Ginger Tumeric Lemon green tea

    If you like the pink tea recipe is your favorite? I'd LOVE to hear your feedback in the comments. Your 5-ratings motivate me to do my best. Stay connected for more recipes and videos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube.

    pink tea recipe

    Kashmiri Chai Recipe (Pink Tea)

    A hearty and delicious tea that is meant to sipped slowly in winter nights.
    4.97 from 31 votes
    Print Pin
    Prep: 5 minutes
    Cook: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings : 4
    Calories: 178kcal
    Author: Mariam Sodawater
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups water
    • 3 tablespoon kashmiri tea leaves
    • 9 green cardamom, ,crushed ( choti elaichi)
    • 3 inch cinnamon, ,broken into chip (dal cheeni)
    • ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda, (khane ka soda)
    • 1 cup cold water, (pani)
    • 3 to 4 tablespoon sugar, (cheeni),( optional, since sugar is not added in Kashmiri tea but some non kashmiri people like it sweet.)
    • 2 cup milk for strong or 3 cup milk for light, (dhood)
    • ½ cup cream, optional
    • 1 tablespoon grounded pistachios, (pista), optional
    • 1 tablespoon grounded almonds, (badaam), optional
    • * For authentic taste and aroma use Kashmiri tea. If not available use pure green tea leaves can also be used.

    Other variations ( in some regions these ingredients are also added)

    • 4 jasmine flowers, (chambeli)
    • 1 star anise, (badyaan phool)
    • 4 cloves, (laung)

    Instructions

    • In a wide based skillet, take water, Kashmiri tea leaves, salt and cardamom, cinnamon.
    • Bring it boil and let it boil for a minute. Now add baking soda.
    • Cook more till you get deep red color and water is reduced to half. (20-30 minutes)
    • Add ice cold water in boiling hot tea. Mix well for 1 minutes.
    • Kehwa is ready. You can strain, cool and store in fridge for 3-4 days.
    • When making tea add milk, sugar (if using) and powdered dry fruits to kehwa.
    • Cook for another 2-3 minutes and serve. Garnish with more nuts.

    Notes

    Update :For best results use Kashmiri tea, if you don't have Kashmiri tea, you can use green tea instead, but in my personal experience green tea does give a very similar taste to kashmiri tea but fails to give pink color. Although, you can add pink food color. But that is a fix and not authentic way.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 178kcal ,Carbohydrates: 15g ,Protein: 2g ,Fat: 13g ,Saturated Fat: 7g ,Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g ,Monounsaturated Fat: 4g ,Cholesterol: 34mg ,Sodium: 4026mg ,Potassium: 125mg ,Fiber: 2g ,Sugar: 10g ,Vitamin A: 448IU ,Vitamin C: 1mg ,Calcium: 60mg ,Iron: 1mg
    Mention @Recipe52 or tag #Loverecipe52!

    More Recipes

    • Cinnamon Tea Recipe
    • Mint Milk Tea
    • Ginger Milk Tea
    • Orange Peel Tea
    1.4K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Niansha says

      December 14, 2022 at 2:31 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for such a beautiful precise receipe of pink tea.I tried and got the pink colour in very first attempt. I followed your steps and result was a tasty nice flavourful pink tea.. thanks a lot.

      Reply
      • Mariam Sodawater says

        December 14, 2022 at 4:49 pm

        Thanks a lot for the lovely feedback!

        Reply
    2. Nitz says

      November 29, 2021 at 8:39 pm

      This is not authentic Kashmiri noon chai. There is no cinnamon or cardamom involved in noon chai, and the pink color comes from adding baking soda to tea leaves as they boil, an art which has to be done just right so that it doesn't taste bitter. Not sure what tea this recipe is for, but it's NOT from Kashmir

      Reply
      • Mariam Sodawater says

        November 30, 2021 at 9:22 am

        Hi Nitz, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Kashmir is a huge region and in my recent trip to Kashmir, I also verified my recipe from a local. I'm sure there are many versions of this tea like there are many versions of chai recipe. Just skip the ingredients you don't like and chill. Have a nice day.

        Reply
    3. Nimisha says

      October 15, 2021 at 11:09 am

      5 stars
      Hi Mariam, Thank you for the recipe. I love the color and mild flavor of Kashmiri chai, but agree the cafe's make them too milky. I would love to make at home with your recipe. Can recommend a good brand and where to get it? Thank you! Nimisha

      Reply
      • Mariam Sodawater says

        October 16, 2021 at 3:58 pm

        Hi Nishma, below is a list of brands I know. If you can't any of these then you'll have to test a bit with the available options.
        Handi Pink Tea
        Three Rivers
        Food Net Hi-Sun
        Tapal Gulbahar

        Reply
    4. Nimisha says

      October 15, 2021 at 10:50 am

      Hi Mariam, I love the flavor and color of the Kashmiri chai, such a treat. I want to make it at home. Can you provide the brands that you use or recommend and where can I find it? Thank you!

      Reply
    5. Misbah says

      August 31, 2021 at 10:55 pm

      Hi! Used deer kashmiri green tea and got the color immediately. I would just say for those who don't want the salty flavor to omit the salt altogether and reduce the amount of baking soda as well. Otherwise the saltiness overpowers the tea.
      Thank you for the awesome recipe!

      Reply
      • Mariam Sodawater says

        September 02, 2021 at 7:40 pm

        Thanks a lot for the lovely feedback and valuable suggestion for readers.

        Reply
    6. Ali says

      March 07, 2021 at 10:19 am

      The contact us page wasn't working so adding a request here. Thanks for great recipes. Could you post achar recipes, especially typical Bohra ones like gobi-gajjar, kairi, metha limboo (non-oil based achars)?

      Reply
      • Recipe 52 says

        March 07, 2021 at 2:18 pm

        Thanks a lot Ali for the request. I’m sorry the contact page is not working and thanks for letting me know. For achars, I’m a big fan of achars but my mom is, I’ll try to post her recipes too.

        Reply
    7. ARVIND. J says

      March 03, 2021 at 5:31 pm

      Vanakkam!
      I am a tea lover and a foodie too. I don't get this tea in my place. I tasted it the last time was 1973.
      I am so delighted to see your recipe, Mariam. God Bless You.
      Jai Hind.
      Best regards,
      Arvind.

      Reply
      • Recipe 52 says

        March 03, 2021 at 5:36 pm

        Thanks a lot Arvind for leaving a lovely comment.

        Reply
    8. Janhvi Samant says

      February 10, 2021 at 8:03 am

      hello from sunny Sydney,

      I use the dawn kashmiri team leaves and follow the steps, but i dont get the pink color nor the flavor. Dunno what is wrong?

      Reply
      • Recipe 52 says

        February 10, 2021 at 9:23 am

        Hi Janhvi, you can keep cooking for 1 more hour and adding more water if needed until color gets pink. If it doesn’t work. Try other tea brand. Recently, I tried again with green tea. It works with good quality green tea leaves too.

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Rate this Recipe and Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating along with your comment. Not only your reviews motivate me to do my best, but they also help others find me online. Thank you! Mariam




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I’m Mariam Sodawater, a passionate home chef dedicated to sharing authentic South Asian taste with simple recipes and easy-to-find ingredients. My motto is EASY, HEALTHY, and FRUGAL food. Home cooking can be fun and therapeutic!

    More about me →

    Ramadan (Make-Ahead)

    • Keema Samosa Recipe
    • Keema Cutlets Recipe with beef or mutton
    • Shami Kabab Recipe
    • Cornflake Fried Chicken
    • Date Roll
    • Bohra Fried Chicken
    • Pakistani Keema (Bhuna)
    • Ground Chicken Nuggets

    Ramadan Favourites

    • Brownie Recipe with Oil
    • Chicken Karahi Recipe
    • Chapli Kebab
    • Aloo Keema Patties / Cutlets
    • Aloo Tikki
    • Dynamite Chicken
    • Cheesy Spaghetti Balls Recipe
    • Aloo Chana Chaat recipe
    • Batata Vada (Indian Potato Balls)
    • Potato Cheese Balls Recipe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Footer

    Newsletter

    Accessibility

    Privacy Policy

    © 2022 RECIPE 52