Kashmiri Chai

Ingredients

• 750 ml water
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri chai leaves (or gunpowder green tea)
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 small cinnamon stick (about 3 cm)
• 200 ml ice-cold water, with a few ice cubes
• 500 ml full-fat milk
• 2 tbsp sugar, or to taste
• ¼ tsp fine salt, or to taste
• 2 tbsp raw pistachios, roughly crushed
• 2 tbsp almonds, thinly sliced or crushed

Instructions

1. Put the 750 ml water, tea leaves, baking soda, cardamom and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. The water will foam and darken quickly.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and let it boil steadily, stirring now and then, until the liquid has reduced by about one-third and is a deep reddish-brown.
3. Pour in one-third of the ice-cold water and bring back to a boil. Ladle the tea up and pour it back into the pan from a height a few times. Repeat with the remaining ice water in two more rounds, boiling for about 3 minutes each time, until the liquid is a dark, rich maroon.
4. Add the milk and half of the crushed nuts. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring so the milk does not catch on the base.
5. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, ladling and pouring the chai back into the pan every minute or so. It is ready when it turns a soft, even pink and tastes rounded, not grassy.
6. Stir in the sugar and salt, then taste and adjust. Strain into cups and top with the remaining pistachios and almonds. Serve hot.

Tips

• The colour comes from a long boil, the baking soda and the aeration. Do not skip the ladling, as it helps the pink develop.
• Use a wide, heavy pan and watch it when the milk goes in. It can boil over quickly.
• Go easy on the baking soda. Too much gives a soapy taste. A quarter teaspoon is enough for this quantity.
• Salt is traditional in noon chai, but add it at the end so you can judge the balance.