Noon chai (sheer chai)
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
Pink, salted milk tea made by long boiling of green tea leaves with a pinch of baking soda, drunk with breads at breakfast.
Region: Kashmir valleyOccasion: Breakfast and afternoon tea, especially in winterTime: 40 minServes: 4Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Kashmiri green tea leaves (or gunpowder green tea)
- 4 cups water
- A small pinch of baking soda
- 1 cup ice-cold water
- 2 cups full-cream milk
- ½ tsp salt, or to taste
- 2 green cardamoms, crushed
- 1 tbsp crushed almonds or pistachios (optional)
Method
- Boil the tea leaves in 4 cups of water with the baking soda for 15–20 minutes until the liquid turns deep red and reduces by about half.
- Pour in the ice-cold water and whisk or ladle the tea up and down vigorously for a few minutes to aerate it.
- Add the cardamom and salt and simmer for a few more minutes.
- Add the milk and bring to a boil; the tea turns a soft pink.
- Strain and serve with crushed nuts on top and fresh bread.
History
Noon means salt in Kashmiri. The tea is traditionally made in a samovar, and salted tea is common in the Himalayan and Central Asian region linked to Kashmir by old trade routes.
Significance
Most Kashmiri homes drink noon chai more than once a day, with girda, lavasa or bakarkhani from the neighbourhood bakery (kandur).