Kahwa is fragrant green tea flavored with spices like cardamom and cinnamon, making it the perfect soothing drink for cold days.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Drink
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 inches cinnamon (use ceylon cinnamon)
  • 2 green cardamom
  • 2 cloves (optional)
  • 4 whole almonds (raw & unsalted, crushed using mortar and pestle)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons sugar (or to taste)
  • ¾-1 teaspoon green tea (I use Kashmiri green tea)
  • few saffron strands (optional)

Method

  1. Using a mortar and pestle, crush 2-inches cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms, and 2 cloves. Remove them in a bowl.
  2. To the same mortar and pestle now, add 4 almonds and crush them. Set it aside.
  3. Take a pot and add 2 cups water to it and turn heat to medium-high. Add the crushed spices and then add sweetener to taste, I added 2 teaspoons sugar.
  4. Let the water and spice mixture come to a gentle boil. Immediately, add ¾ teaspoons green tea leaves and turn off the heat.
  5. Remove the pot from heat and and cover the pot with a lid. Let the tea steep for 2 minutes. Meanwhile take 2 serving cups and equally divide the crushed almonds between the 2 cups. Also add a few saffron strands to each cup (optional).
  6. Strain the kahwa into the cups using a strainer. Enjoy hot!

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.