Every morning at the crack of dawn, the first order of the Kashmiri day is to light the coals which will heat water for the samovar, the ornate spouted vessel which holds the family tea. What kind of tea, or chai, the family makes seems to divide along sectarian lines, Muslim or Hindu. The two teas couldn't be any more different from one another. Their uniqueness also beautifully illustrates the regional nature of Indian cuisine. Today, I will share recipes for both types of Kashmiri chai.
But first, I have to get something off my chest. As my favorite local slam poet, Shailja Patel, is fond of pointing out, chai is not "a beverage invented in California." The Hindi/Urdu word chai simply means "tea." "Chai tea" is a redundancy. Uttering the phrase "chai tea latte," the drink sold by Starbucks/Tazo®, should be a criminal offense. The three word phrase, strung together from the languages of three countries with unique culinary traditions, is a symbol of all that is wrong with globalization. Starbucks describes its drink as a blend of "exotic spices and comforting vanilla." The flavor bears more resemblance to a pumpkin pie than to the bracing cuppa sold by every chaiwallah at railroad stations throughout India. (Don't get me started on the "chai eggnog soy latte" I spotted on the Starbucks website).
Kahva
If you were to peer into the samovar in a Hindu pandit's
kitchen, you may be surprised to discover green, not black, tea leaves.
There is also no milk in this tea, which goes by the name kahva (also spelled kahwa). Kahva
is usually served sweet and is infused with crushed almonds, green
cardamom and sometimes cinnamon. On rare, very special occasions, a few
strands of saffron may be added as well.
As a green tea drinker and a fan of anything with cardamom in it, I was extremely excited to learn about this lighter alternative to masala chai. I talked to a Pakistani halal butcher/grocer in town to find out what variety of green tea is used to make kahva. Kashmiris call it "Bombay tea," but in the tea trade here it is known as "gunpowder," named after the way the more mature tea leaves curl up into pellets when dried. The tea, grown in Sri Lanka or China, is available in any store that specializes in Middle Eastern groceries, where it is simply labeled "green tea."
I enjoyed the uplifting combination of flavors and plan to make kahva often, especially during the winter months. It makes an excellent post dinner digestif as well. I have not yet tried the kahva with saffron, as my wife doesn't care for saffron.
Sheer chai
Judged on appearance alone, it would be difficult to tell apart the milky tea favored by the majority Muslim population of Kashmir from the iconic railroad station masala chai. Both are made with black tea, milk and, sometimes, spices. One taste, however, and you'll know you're not in Delhi. Sheer chai or noon chai (noon is Kashmiri and sheer is Persian for milk) is salty, containing no sugar. For this milky brew, Kashmiris use a type of tea similar to Darjeeling called pahari (literally "of the mountain"). When Hindu pandits make sheer chai, they typically add a masala of some combination of green cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, black peppercorns, poppy seeds, and crushed almonds. Traditionally, tea makers also add a pinch of baking soda, which turns the tea a pinkish color.
Although I admittedly disliked the saltiness and the chemical flavor imparted by the baking soda, I may feel differently if I were sipping this after a trek through the Himalayas. The Tibetan peoples who dwell in neighboring Ladakh (technically a region within Kashmir) favor a similarly salty brew. They infamously include a dollop of rancid yak butter in their tea.
All of these teas and spices are included in the Kashmiri Cooking Kit (more than $60 worth of spices, food and recipes ), my donation to Menu for Hope II.
As a bonus, the winner of my prize will also receive the ingredients and the recipe to make masala chai, as taught to me by N's Bollywood socialite aunt. Aunt Geeta renowned throughout Mumbai (Bombay) for her masala chai.
Click the button below to be taken to the donation page where you can buy a raffle ticket for yourself or, as Sam of Becks & Posh suggested, as a gift to others on your holiday shopping list. Remember, whether you win or lose, all of the money raised will be donated to UNICEF to aid the victims of the massive earthquake that struck Kashmir in October. Thank you.
The complete recipes for the two Kashmiri-style chais are found below the jump!
Kahva
1 t green tea ("gunpowder")
4 green cardamoms, seeds only, crushed to powder
6 almonds, blanched and coarsely crushed
2 T sugar (more or less, according to preference)
few shards from a stick of cinnamon (optional)
4 threads saffron (optional)
4 c water
Add tea (and saffron, if using) to water in a pot and bring to a boil. As soon as boils, strain into cups. Traditionally, the cardamom powder, crushed almonds and the optional cinnamon are placed into the cups and the tea is poured over. I prefer to add the cardamom and almonds to the tea at the beginning and then strain it all out. Stir in sugar to preference.
Sheer chai
2 t tea leaves (Darjeeling)
1 pinch baking soda
¼ t salt
1½ c whole milk
3½ c water
4 green cardamoms, seeds only, crushed to powder
4 almonds, coarsely crushed
1 T cream (optional)
In a pot, bring ½ cup of the water to a boil. Add tea and baking soda. Boil for 5 minutes or so to reduce water by half. Add remaining 3 c water, milk, cream (if using) and salt and bring to a boil. As with kahva, the cardamom powder and crushed almonds are placed into the cups and the tea is poured over. I prefer to add the cardamom and almonds to the tea at the beginning and then strain it all out.
Fascinating recipes - and a fascinating series. I'm loving every minute of it!
Posted by: Melissa | Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 07:53 AM
Great post, Brett. And thank you for airing your bit about the meaning of "chai." I'm pretty sick of folks showing up to the yoga studio with starbucks chai. absolutely no character and tastes the same as Scope mouthwash.
I have a soft spot for really strong masala chai. Creamy, sweet, and salty. I particularly like when you exhale an hour or so after drinking it and you still can get a whiff of clove :) but green tea and cardamom? i think i could definitely handle that.
and your theory about taking in savory tea on a trek is right. no, i didn't trek in the himalayas (one day...) but we had the tibetan yak butter tea on a hike across the Uintah mountains. and yes, it really does sustain.
fun language lesson for the day:
hindu/urdu—chai
japanese—cha (as in genmai cha)
korean—cha (as in pori cha, barley tea)
chinese—tza or tsa
gotta go make a cuppa....
Posted by: vanessa | Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 09:44 PM
I'm a huge green tea fan, so I'm excited to try your chai recipe.
This series has been fabulous, Brett. More, more!
Posted by: Jennifer | Wednesday, December 21, 2005 at 08:15 AM
hi, can some one plz tell me how to make green tea pink like kashmiri green tea but the color pink.
Posted by: khan | Monday, May 08, 2006 at 10:05 AM
Being a kashmiri i had to explain to one of my friends how to make kahwa and kashmiri tea (noon chai). I typed it on the internet and your link came up.
I must admit you have nailed it! Its really heartening to see someone has a fondness to your cultural food, it makes one proud of their own ethnicity.
As for my friend I gave her the link to your page.
Posted by: Asif | Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 05:55 PM
Thanks for the great discussion and recipes about chai. I, too, tire of the glib, affected use of the word chai in common use to anything with a hint of milk and/or spice.
Treat site. First time visitor.
Posted by: ameena | Monday, May 14, 2007 at 11:33 AM
hi! i found this link while searching for kashmiri green tea. i was in india january 06 (the month after you wrote this). we toured the "golden triangle" (delhi, agra, jaipur) for a couple of weeks after attending an indian wedding. while we were in Delhi, we visited Delhi Haat, a kind of country fair, that has a focus on one of the indian states every two weeks. while we were there, they just happened to be highlighting Kashmir, much to our delight! as a tea and fiber enthusiastic, i was in total bliss!
we purchased some kahva from a stall with two kashmiri gentlemen--all decked out in their traditional garb--who made the tea in a samovar. i have pictures if anyone wants me to send to them ([email protected]). for me, it would NOT be kahva without the saffron and other spices you mentioned--so having 2 of the spices "optional" makes it just cardamon tea. and, they used kashmiri honey for the sweetener. (you could buy kashmiri honey at another stall, and green tea elsewhere). they boiled the spices and almonds first, then added the tea. and, they put a number of slivered, boiled almonds in the bottom of the cup, so we had yummy pieces to chew on at the end of the drink.
it was delightful! i also purchased an incredibly beautiful 1/2 pashmina, 1/2 fine wool, hand embroidered shawl.
Posted by: chris french | Monday, May 14, 2007 at 03:05 PM
So when someone says "chai tea" they're actually saying "tea tea"? That's kinda funny. My girlfriend always buys those things from Starbucks. I have had them before, but it feels like i'm drinking a big cup of pure sugar. Too sweet for me. I do like the iced green tea lattes though, still pretty sweet.
Really cool blog by the way, and as I do like to try new foods and sometimes even cook, I think I'll have to read some more.
-Shaun
Posted by: green tea weightloss | Monday, April 14, 2008 at 04:42 PM
Kahwa is actually a tea from Afghanistan (the name itself derives from the Arabic word for coffee, Qahwa), and there really isn't a clear cut division of teas along communal lines in Kashmir. I think you may have heard an exaggeration of the origins of this tea, since there are actually very few non-religious customs that divide Muslims and hindus in Kashmir (Kashmiri hindus are voracious meat-eaters too!)
The variety of Kashmiri chai found most commonly in places like Toronto, England, and NYC originates from Sopore Kashmir, but is actually more popular in the Islamabad/Rawalpindi area of Pakistan, where its called Pindi Chai. Instead of the salty Srinagar chai you had, this one is creamy, sweet, and has shredded almonds and pistachios. Its also got a wonderful light pink color to it that is more vibrant than in the photo you have. Its an excellent desert!
Just a side comment, you shouldn't tell a Muslim Kashmiri that his tea is part of Indian cuisine! He'll reprimand you and declare his distaste for all things Indian, especially its army.
Posted by: Rizwan | Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 06:53 PM
Kahwa is actually a tea from Afghanistan (the name itself derives from the Arabic word for coffee, Qahwa), and there really isn't a clear cut division of teas along communal lines in Kashmir. I think you may have heard an exaggeration of the origins of this tea, since there are actually very few non-religious customs that divide Muslims and hindus in Kashmir (Kashmiri hindus are voracious meat-eaters too!)
The variety of Kashmiri chai found most commonly in places like Toronto, England, and NYC originates from Sopore Kashmir, but is actually more popular in the Islamabad/Rawalpindi area of Pakistan, where its called Pindi Chai. Instead of the salty Srinagar chai you had, this one is creamy, sweet, and has shredded almonds and pistachios. Its also got a wonderful light pink color to it that is more vibrant than in the photo you have. Its an excellent desert!
Just a side comment, you shouldn't tell a Muslim Kashmiri that his tea is part of Indian cuisine! He'll reprimand you and declare his distaste for all things Indian, especially its army.
Posted by: Rizwan | Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 06:54 PM
Yaa really mate, Indian masala is far better than the rest of the world. Specially Kashmir (North Indian) foods are mouth watering, spicy. I belong to east india, never paid a visit to kashmir due to the terrorism stuffs n all, but still we call that indian paradise. Not only the food, but the culture is very good. Hope to be there someday in near futre. Me bookmarking this blog, and will share my experiences, once I am there.
Posted by: Indian Desi Masala Gallery | Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 07:47 PM
Interesting stuff, there's some really decent stuff there. Nice one, keep up the good work with the site!
Posted by: Green Tea | Saturday, July 26, 2008 at 09:51 AM
these dishes look great its an asian style mixed with a european style that is elegant and tasteful
Posted by: german recipes | Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 01:43 PM
Hey,
Good work with this article, all the recipes look really good, you should add some more green tea recipes there much appreciated
Posted by: Green tea | Friday, October 10, 2008 at 09:53 AM
Hi
Would appreciate any information on where we can buy the Kahva leaves from? I just finished my batch and have no plans to travel to India this year.
Found this website http://www.silverleaftea.com/kashmiri-green-chai-tea-p-333:f9889a90a6465d051f44129dd3eebb2d.html
But not sure if its the same product...
Thanks
Posted by: RP | Sunday, October 19, 2008 at 01:22 PM
Looks like the same product to me, although their version adds cinnamon and cloves. You could order "gunpowder green tea" from the same company or most other online tea sellers. Then you can add your own spices to your liking.
Posted by: Brett | Sunday, October 19, 2008 at 02:57 PM
This is my answer to Mr. Rizwan. green tea is not from Afghanistan green tea leafs are from Kashmir when kashmir was part of china in old times. Thats why chinese also claim that green tea is a chinese find. anyways kashmiri tea is different from normal green tea used in arab or afghanistan and in china.
Secondly the chai which u are talking about is drived from kashmiri Namkeen chai and cuz punjabi's cannot drink namkeen chai they added sugar in it. same as many kashmiri parents add sugar for their children in the kashmiri tea instead of salt so that they drink it. My family moved in punjab after partition of india and they tell its not too long since this suger added gulabi chai was commercially sold on the shops in lahore and than other big cities. and just for ur info its absolutly not a rawalpindi/islamabad thing and last thing kashmiri numkeen chai/noon chai /loon wali chai also has nuts in it. the only thing different in sugar added commercial chai is that they add pink color and also suger instead of salt.
FOR the readers: in my family soda and pink color is never added in the tea instead u have to find a good quality kashmiri tea. than while cooking you heat up the water and put tea in it and than add cold water and shimer it. you repeat this two three times to get the real pink color with out adding soda and pink color. Soda is added to save time its not right procedure and specially not recomended in my family.
kashmiri safron kehwa recipe is ok but mostly kehwa is made with out saffron may be cuz its too expensive. Kashmiri's make thier tea in a samawar.
Finally chai word is a Turkish word Turkish chai = tea.
[email protected]
Posted by: JoJo | Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 06:10 PM
The first thing I do every morning is a cup of green tea and after half an hour of yoga. It's like the most healthy ritual.
Posted by: Nail Fungus | Monday, September 14, 2009 at 03:13 PM
The fact tea is a Muslim or Hindu tradition and nothing else?
Posted by: World Series of Poker | Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 08:26 AM
I had the opportunity to celebrate my honeymoon with Indian dinner and including green tea together with crushed almonds. Everyone was impressed.
Posted by: Erectile Dysfunction | Thursday, October 08, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Any drink or dish containing green tea or green tea leaves in its preparation is a sign of healthy food.
Posted by: Generic Cialis Online | Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 10:32 AM
The Chinese tea tastes great, very recommendable
Posted by: Psychotherapy Counseling | Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 12:26 PM