Description
Kashmiri pink delight tea blends aromatic spices with delicate rose essence, creating a sensory journey through Himalayan traditions. Kashmir’s culinary heritage shines in this warming, fragrant beverage that invites travelers to savor regional comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (946 ml) water
- 2 cups (473 ml) whole milk
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) Kashmiri/Himalayan green tea or other green tea
- 1–2 star anise
- 2 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda
- ¼ tsp (1.25 ml) salt
- sugar or honey to taste
- crushed nuts like almonds or pistachios for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Liquid Preparation: Bring water to a rolling boil in a saucepan, creating the foundation for this aromatic Kashmiri tea.
- Tea Infusion: Add green tea leaves to the boiling water, allowing them to steep and release their vibrant essence, then introduce baking soda to trigger a dramatic crimson color transformation.
- Spice Symphony: Gently fold in star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon, creating a complex flavor profile while reducing the liquid volume by half over a gentle simmer.
- Milk Integration: Pour whole milk into the spice-infused tea, carefully elevating the temperature and stirring continuously to prevent scorching, watching the liquid transform into a captivating pink hue.
- Finishing Touches: Strain the tea through a fine mesh, season with a hint of salt, and sweeten with sugar or honey. Optionally garnish with crushed nuts for an added textural dimension, serving the Kashmiri Pink Delight at the perfect temperature.
Notes
- Boost Color Transformation: Adding baking soda creates a dramatic crimson shift, revealing the traditional Kashmiri tea aesthetic.
- Master Spice Blending: Balance star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon carefully to unlock authentic flavor complexity without overwhelming the delicate tea profile.
- Prevent Milk Scorching: Stir continuously while heating milk to maintain smooth texture and prevent burning, ensuring a silky consistent brew.
- Customize Your Sweetness: Experiment with honey or sugar quantities to personalize taste intensity, matching your preferred sweetness level without compromising the tea’s intricate spice notes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Drinks, Cocktails
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Kashmiri
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg