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A traditional Kashmiri pink tea with a distinct savory flavor. This unique brew gets its beautiful rosy hue from a special reaction with baking soda, making it a comforting and visually stunning beverage.
Brew the Tea Concentrate (Kehwa)
Shock and Aerate the Tea
Add Milk and Season
A traditional Kashmiri pink tea with a distinct savory flavor. This unique brew gets its beautiful rosy hue from a special reaction with baking soda, making it a comforting and visually stunning beverage.
This kashmiri recipe takes 30 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 106.24 calories per serving with 5.23g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for beverage or breakfast or snack.
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Garnish and Serve
While traditionally savory, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar along with the salt to balance the flavors if you prefer a slightly sweet taste.
For an even richer chai, substitute half a cup of milk with heavy cream or a dollop of malai (clotted cream) on top before serving.
Add a small cinnamon stick or a few cloves along with the cardamom and star anise for a different aromatic profile.
Spices like green cardamom and star anise are known to have carminative properties, which can help soothe the digestive system, reduce bloating, and alleviate indigestion.
Kashmiri green tea is a source of powerful antioxidants, particularly catechins, which help combat oxidative stress in the body and protect cells from damage by free radicals.
This warm, savory beverage is traditionally consumed in the cold climate of Kashmir to provide warmth and energy. The salt also helps in replenishing electrolytes lost during the day.
The pink color depends on a chemical reaction between the chlorophyll in the tea leaves and the baking soda, which is enhanced by aeration. The most common reasons for failure are: using the wrong type of tea (it must be authentic Kashmiri green tea), not aerating vigorously enough, or using incorrect proportions of baking soda.
While you can make a tea beverage with regular green tea, it will not produce the signature pink color or the authentic flavor of Noon Chai. The specific properties of Kashmiri tea leaves are essential for this recipe.
Noon Chai can be part of a balanced diet. The green tea provides antioxidants, and spices like cardamom aid digestion. However, it contains salt and is often made with full-fat milk, so it should be consumed in moderation, especially for those monitoring sodium or fat intake.
One serving of this Noon Chai, made with full-fat milk, contains approximately 90-110 calories. The exact number can vary based on the type of milk and the amount of nuts used for garnish.
No, the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a crucial ingredient. It is the alkaline agent that reacts with the tea leaves to produce the characteristic pink color and flavor. Without it, you will just have a regular savory green tea.
Noon Chai is fundamentally different. It is savory and salty, not sweet. It uses a specific type of green tea and baking soda to achieve a pink color, whereas masala chai uses black tea, is typically sweet, and is spiced with a different blend like ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.
This recipe goes great with these complete meals
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