Saturday Night Chai Therapy

We’ve had so much doom and gloom in the headlines lately, that it’s hard not to wonder if there’s something to that urban myth about 2012 being the end of the world after all! I thought we could use an open thread to relax and share some recipes.

My mother is from Kashmir, and I grew up hearing her talk about Kashmiri “Kahwah“ every time I brought a new variety of green tea home.

Kahwah is traditionally made in samovar kettles like the one to the right, but you can make it with a regular kettle, too. And, don’t worry about finding the Kashmiri tea leaves as listed in the recipe below. My mom’s reaction to the Chinese green tea leaves was always to call it Kahwah, so I figure the taste must be pretty close.

For convenience’s sake, my family and I often just use Stash Kashmiri Chai Green tea bags, no milk, to achieve the Kahwah effect. They’ve got the spices added in there already, so it’s ready to go, just boil, brew, and enjoy. I rarely put sweet in my tea, but once in awhile I’ll add a trace amount of a fancy honey variety (like vanilla bean or Hawaiian) to give it a silkier feel.

But, here’s a proper recipe, from Bella Online:

KAHWA (Spiced Kashmiri Green Tea)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Kashmiri Green Tea (loose leaf variety is best)
2-3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 stick of cinnamon (2” long)
2-3 cloves
2 slices of fresh ginger, lightly crushed
8-10 almonds, blanched & finely chopped (or you could use pistachios if you wanted)
sugar, to taste (or you could also use your favorite flavor of honey)
1 good pinch of saffron – optional
a drop or two of rose water or rose essence – optional

METHOD:

In a medium saucepan on medium high heat, combine 3 cups of water along the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves and fresh slices of ginger. Bring to a gentle boil, remove the saucepan completely from the heat and add the tea leaves. Mix well to combine and allow the tea to steep for about 4-5 minutes. Then strain the tea into a teapot. Now add the sugar (or honey) along with saffron, nuts and rose water. Stir well to combine all of the ingredients and let the tea sit for 2-3 minutes before serving.

VARIATIONS:

If you have organic edible rose petals available, feel free to add a few in along with the other spices.

Feel free to add a few strips of orange peel as well along with the other spices.

You could also add a mint leaf or even tulsi (Indian holy basil) to the tea along with the sugar and nuts.

I’d love to hear one of your favorite chai or coffee rituals, but any kind of recipes you want to share in the comments are welcome. Have at it and Enjoy!