Kashmiri pink chai with ground pistachios and almonds

Ingredients:

2 tsp of Kashmiri tea leaves OR pure green tea leaves (this is a family version, comes out quite close to the real deal)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2-3 pods of cardamom, seeds removed and crushed roughly
1 1/2- 2 cups of water
1 1/2 – 2  cups of whole milk
1/4 – 1/2 tsp sea salt OR sugar if you prefer, but it’s ‘Salt tea’ so salt is more authentic!
Garnish: 1-2 tsp of ground pistachios and almonds and 1 tsp of poppy seeds

Method:

1. In a saucepan on medium heat, add the 2 tsp of tea with about 1/2 of water, boil till frothy then add the bicarbonate of soda and whisk vigorously for about 10 seconds and then add the rest of the water and crushed cardamom and boil until the tea broth becomes a bright red.

2. Now bring the heat down to medium low and add the milk and whisk the tea broth very vigorously to achieve a slight froth. The colour of the tea should now be a lovely dark pink. If you add more milk, the colour gets even lighter, the choice is yours.

3. Finally, add the salt and stir. Pour in to a cup and sprinkle with crushed pistachios and almonds. Enjoy while watching the snow fall….