Kashmiri Pink Chai (Noon Chai)

Before you start

Noon chai, from Kashmir, is a salted milk tea with a pale rose-pink color. No coloring is used. The color comes from a specific green tea boiled for a long time with a pinch of baking soda until it becomes a deep burgundy concentrate, often just called the tea base, which is then repeatedly aerated and shocked with cold water. When milk is finally added, the dark red base turns a soft pink.

The flavor is savory rather than sweet, with salt, cardamom and a creamy richness, and it is often topped with crushed nuts. The technique takes about 45 minutes. The key decisions are the tea itself (Kashmiri or a similar unflavored green tea), the amount of baking soda and the vigorous aeration that develops color. Without enough aeration the tea may turn brown instead of pink.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp (about 8 g) Kashmiri green tea leaves — or a plain Chinese green tea such as gunpowder
• 500 ml (2 cups) water, for boiling
• ⅛ tsp baking soda
• 500 ml (2 cups) cold water, plus ice — for shocking
• 4 green cardamom pods, crushed
• 500 ml (2 cups) whole milk
• ½ tsp salt — to taste
• 2 tbsp crushed pistachios or almonds — for topping
• 2 tsp sugar — optional; traditional versions use none

Method

1. Put the tea leaves, 500 ml water and baking soda in the saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
2. Lower to medium and boil for 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid reduces to about 250 ml and turns a deep, dark red.
3. Aerate: scoop up the tea with a ladle and pour it back from a height of about 30 cm (12 in), repeating for 2 to 3 minutes. The tea will lighten slightly and foam.
4. Add 250 ml of cold water and a few ice cubes to shock the tea. Bring it back to a boil and aerate again for 2 minutes.
5. Add the remaining 250 ml cold water and the crushed cardamom. Boil for 5 minutes, then aerate once more. The base should now be a deep burgundy.
6. Strain the tea base into a clean pan. Add the milk and salt and heat gently, stirring, until hot but not boiling. The color will shift to soft pink.
7. Taste and adjust salt or add sugar if preferred. Pour into cups and top with crushed pistachios or almonds.

Tips for success

• Real Kashmiri tea produces the most reliable pink color. Plain gunpowder green tea is a reasonable substitute.
• Do not use more than a pinch of baking soda; too much gives a soapy taste.
• The concentrate can be made in a large batch and refrigerated, then mixed with milk as needed.
• Aeration is not optional. It is what develops the pink color, so ladle with energy.

Substitutions

Kashmiri green tea

Chinese gunpowder or other unflavored green tea works. Avoid jasmine or flavored teas.

Whole milk

Half whole milk and half cream makes a richer, more traditional cup. Plant milks often prevent a true pink color.

Pistachios

Almonds, walnuts or dried rose petals are other common toppings.

Variations

Pink chai latte

Use sweetened tea base with frothed milk for a cafe-style latte, topped with pistachios.

Spiced noon chai

Add a cinnamon stick and 2 star anise to the tea base while it boils.

Troubleshooting

The tea turned brown, not pink

The base was not aerated enough or the tea did not reduce enough. Boil and aerate longer next time, and use the correct tea.

It tastes soapy

Too much baking soda was used. Use only a small pinch.

The color is very pale

Not enough base for the amount of milk. Reduce the milk or make a stronger concentrate.

Storage

Tea base keeps refrigerated in a covered jar for up to 4 days; mix with milk to order. Finished chai with milk is best drunk at once. Do not leave milk tea out for more than 2 hours.

Safety notes

Green tea contains caffeine. The long boil concentrates it, so a cup of noon chai can be fairly strong.