Kashmiri Kahwa Tea

Kahwa is a traditional Kashmiri beverage. It is basically an aromatic antioxidant-rich green tea that is flavored with whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and saffron and garnished with nuts and dried rose petals. Kashmiri Kahwa has a rich aroma, is mildly spiced and has an appealing golden color. Kashmiri Kahwa is not only soothing and comforting but also has many health benefits.

A little more about Kashmiri Kahwa:

Kashmiri kahwa is a rich exotic beverage that is made using Kashmiri green tea leaves, spices and nuts. It is usually consumed after every meal especially during winter months by Kashmiris as it provides warmth to the body and is believed to aid in digestion. Kahwa is typically prepared in a Samovar. Kashmiris are very fond of tea and each family in Kashmir has one or two samovars. Samovar is a traditional Kashmiri Kettle made up of copper that is used to brew, boil and serve the Kahwa. Kashmiri samovars are made of copper with engraved or embossed caligraphic motifs. Inside the samovar there is a fire container in which charcoal and live coals are placed. Around the fire container there is a space for water to boil. Tea leaves, sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon are put in the water to make kahwa.

                        

A typical Kashmiri Samovar -Source

Can Kahwa be made without Samovar?

Offcourse yes, you can enjoy this delicious drink even if you do not have the traditional kettle-samovar. Kahwa can be easily made at home in a saucepan. You can easily source the Kashmiri green tea leaves online. Incase, you do not have them, still you can prepare kahwa. Just use your regular green tea leaves and brew the aromatic and flavorful spiced tea. 

Health Benefits of Kashmiri Kahwa:

•  A warm cup of Kashmiri Kahwa is soothing and acts as a stress buster.
• Kahwa with the healthy goodness of spices, helps to boost your immune system.
• It helps in cleansing the stomach, improves digestion and metabolism. So basically it detoxifies the system.
• The warm spices used in Kahwa is the best home-remedy against seasonal ailments like common cold and flu.
• The anti-oxidant rich kahwa helps to moisturise the skin and gives you a youthful skin and a natural glow.

Related Event:

#ExoticSaffron was the 266th theme on our Facebook Gourmet group, Foodie Monday Blog Hop, a group of enthusiastic and like-minded food bloggers share their food creations on every Monday depending upon the pre-decided theme. For this week, Mayuri di who blogs at Mayurisjikoni.com was our hostess. Mayuri di suggested that we share any dish, sweet or savory that used Saffron in it. I chose Kashmiri kahwa to be my contribution towards the theme. I have referred the recipe from Mayuri di's blog only. Click here for the recipe link. I have also bookmarked her Iced chai / Saffron Latte to try out soon. Do check out her space for some authentic dishes from Gujarati Cuisine and wonderful bakes from around the world.

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus Sativus. It is one of the costliest spice by weight on earth. The reason behind it being so costlier is the labor-intensive harvesting method. Saffron is harvested by hand from the Crocus Sativus flowers.  The vivid crimson stigma and style, called threads are collected and dried for use as a spice. Saffron is used as a flavoring and coloring spice. It imparts a luminous yellow orange color to the food. Its taste is mildly sweet and hay like.

Saffron is an antioxidant-rich spice and has been linked to many health benefits like, mood enhancer and treat deppressive symptoms. Both eating and smelling saffron may help to treat symptoms like headache, irritability, cravings, pain and anxiety. source

 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1-2 inch stick of cinnamon / dalchini
• 2 green cardamoms/ elaichi
• 2-3 cloves / Laung
• Few strands of Saffron / Keshar
• Few dried rose petals
• 1-2 teaspoon of Kashmiri green tea leaves
• Few slivered almonds for garnishing

Method:

1. Pound the cinnamon, cardamomand clove in a mortar and pestle. Take 2 cups water in a saucepan and heat it. Add the pounded spices and allow the water to boil, then simmer it for 1-2 minute and put off the flame. 

2. Add the Kashmiri green-tea leaves to the decocotion and cover with a lid. Allow the tea leaves to infuse in the spiced water. After 1-2 minutes, strain the tea in serving glasses or cups. Add sweetener, if using and give a good stir. 

3. Garnish the aromatic and flavorful kahwa with saffron strands, almond slivers and dried rose petals and serve it while it is still warm.

Recipe Notes:

• I have referred the recipe from here.
• Pine nuts or sliced walnuts can be used instead of almond slivers.
• You can add dried fruits like cranberries, apples or raisins also as a variation.
• Quantity of green tea can be adjusted as per your taste.
• You may wish to keep the Kahwa sugar-free or add any sweetener of your choice to the brew.

I hope a few of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

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