Kashmiri Kehwa Recipe: How to Make Authentic Kahwa at Home
Green tea, saffron, cardamom, cinnamon and almonds: the golden tea Kashmir pours for every guest. Here is how to make it properly in ten minutes, the mistakes that turn it bitter, and how it differs from noon chai.
NutsAndCrafts
20 August 20266 min read
To make Kashmiri kehwa for two, simmer two cups of water with two crushed green cardamom pods and a small piece of cinnamon for three or four minutes. Turn off the heat, add a teaspoon of green tea and let it steep, covered, for two minutes. Strain it, stir in four or five saffron threads that have soaked in a spoonful of warm water, sweeten with honey or sugar, and top with thinly sliced almonds. It takes about ten minutes.
In Kashmir, kehwa is how you say welcome. It is poured for guests the moment they sit down, after a wazwan feast, and on cold winter evenings when the snow is coming. Traditionally it is brewed in a samovar, a tall copper or brass urn with a chimney through its middle that holds glowing coals, and poured into small cups. You will see it spelled kehwa, kahwa and qehwa. It is the same golden tea.
You don't need a samovar to make a very good cup at home. You do need to treat the green tea gently.
What you need
For two cups:
- 2 cups of water, about 500 ml
- 1 teaspoon of green tea leaves, or 1 teaspoon of a ready-made kehwa blend
- 4 to 5 saffron threads
- 2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- A small piece of cinnamon, about 2 cm
- 1 clove (optional)
- 6 to 8 almonds, thinly sliced
- Honey or sugar, to taste
Making more? Scale it like this:
Cups | Water | Green tea | Saffron | Cardamom | Cinnamon | Almonds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 500 ml | 1 tsp | 4 to 5 threads | 2 pods | 2 cm | 6 to 8 |
4 | 1 litre | 2 tsp | 8 to 10 threads | 3 to 4 pods | 4 cm | 12 to 15 |
6 | 1.5 litres | 3 tsp | 12 to 15 threads | 5 to 6 pods | 5 cm | 18 to 20 |
Method
1. Bloom the saffron first. Put the threads in a tablespoon of warm water and leave them while you do everything else. This draws out the colour and aroma, so less saffron goes further.
2. Simmer the spices. Bring the water to the boil with the cardamom, cinnamon and clove. Lower the heat and let it simmer for three to four minutes, until the kitchen smells of spice.
3. Steep the tea, off the heat. Turn the heat off, add the green tea, cover the pan and leave it for two minutes. Don't boil the tea leaves. Boiling green tea is what makes kehwa bitter.
4. Strain and finish. Strain into cups or a teapot. Stir in the saffron along with its golden water, and sweeten to taste.
5. Add the almonds. Scatter the sliced almonds on top just before serving. Sliced thin, they soften slightly in the tea and are eaten with the last sips.
Getting the timing right
Step | Time | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
Blooming the saffron | 10 minutes or more | Releases colour and aroma fully |
Simmering the spices | 3 to 4 minutes | Long enough for flavour, short enough to stay bright |
Steeping the green tea | 2 minutes, off the heat | Longer, or boiling, turns it bitter |
Serving | Straight away | Kehwa loses its aroma and darkens as it sits |
Common mistakes
Mistake | What happens | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
Boiling the green tea | Bitter, astringent tea | Steep it off the heat for two minutes |
Too much saffron | A medicinal, bitter edge | Two or three threads a cup is plenty |
Dropping dry saffron into boiling water | Much of the aroma is lost | Bloom it in warm water first |
Using black tea | A pleasant spiced tea, but not kehwa | Use green tea |
Thick chunks of almond | They stay hard and sink | Slice them as thin as you can |
Reheating leftover kehwa | Dull, bitter and dark | Make it fresh; it only takes ten minutes |
Variations
- Rose kehwa: add a few dried rose petals with the tea. Many Kashmiri homes do.
- For a cold: add a little crushed ginger with the spices, and finish with honey rather than sugar.
- Caffeine-free: leave out the green tea and make it with the spices, saffron and almonds alone. Lovely at bedtime, and gentle enough for children.
- With walnuts: a few chopped walnuts alongside the almonds, the way some families serve it in winter.
- With a ready blend: if you use a kehwa blend that already has the spices and saffron in it, just simmer, steep and strain.
Kehwa and noon chai are not the same tea
Kashmir has two famous teas, and visitors often mix them up.
Kehwa | Noon chai | |
|---|---|---|
Tea | Green tea | A special green tea, boiled for a long time |
What goes in | Saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, almonds | Milk, salt and a pinch of baking soda |
Colour | Clear, golden | Pink |
Taste | Sweet and fragrant | Salty, creamy |
Milk | None | Yes |
When | For guests, after meals, on winter evenings | Breakfast and afternoon tea, with Kashmiri breads such as girda |
Noon means salt in Kashmiri, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Caffeine
Because kehwa is made with green tea, it has some caffeine, usually less than a cup of black tea or coffee. If you are cutting down, or making it for children or late at night, the caffeine-free version above keeps everything but the tea.
Frequently asked questions
Is kehwa good for weight loss?
It isn't a weight-loss drink, whatever you may have read. It is a warm, fragrant, low-calorie drink when you go easy on the sugar, which makes it a far better habit than a sweet, milky tea or a soft drink.
Can I make kehwa with green tea bags?
Yes. Use one bag for every two cups, add it off the heat and take it out after two minutes. Loose leaves give a cleaner flavour, but bags work.
How many cups of kehwa a day is fine?
For most adults, two or three cups a day is a comfortable amount. Pregnant women and anyone watching their caffeine should count it towards their daily limit, or use the caffeine-free version.
How should I store the spices and saffron?
In airtight jars, away from light, heat and steam, which means not right next to the stove. Saffron in particular keeps best sealed in a cool, dark cupboard.