Kahwa is a traditional Kashmiri tea made with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, rose petals, saffron, and green tea leaves. It is lightly spiced and aromatic. Kahwa tea is commonly enjoyed during cold weather.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 2 minutes
  • Cook time: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 3 · 3 small cups
  • Category: Beverages
  • Cuisine: Indian, Kashmiri

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 inches cinnamon (- use true cinnamon and not cassia cinnamon)
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 2 cloves
  • 5 to 6 dried rose petals (- optional)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (or add as per taste)
  • 1 teaspoon green tea leaves (or add as required)
  • 4 to 5 almonds ((sliced or crushed or chopped) - optional, can also add walnuts instead)
  • 10 to 12 saffron strands (- optional)

Method

Preparation

  1. Get all the spices ready before you start making kahwa.
  2. Take the cinnamon, cloves and green cardamoms in a mortar-pestle. Crush them lightly.
  3. Slice almonds thinly. Almonds can be crushed also in the mortar-pestle. You can even use 2 to 3 walnuts in place of almonds - chop them and add to your kahwa.

Making kahwa

  1. In a saucepan, take the water. Place saucepan on the stove-top on a medium heat.
  2. Add the lightly crushed spices and dried rose petals in the water.
  3. Add sugar or add as per taste.
  4. Let the water come to a gentle boil on a medium heat.
  5. Turn off the heat. Place the pan on the kitchen counter-top. Add green tea. You can add less or more green tea leaves as you prefer.
  6. Cover the pan with its lid and steep green leaves in the hot water for 3 minutes.
  7. After 3 minutes, pour kahwa tea in small cups using a tea strainer.
  8. Add 3 to 4 saffron strands and sliced almonds in each cup.
  9. Serve kahwa tea. Enjoy this fragrant mild green tea!

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.