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Showing posts with label Kahwa tea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kahwa tea. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Kahwa ( Kashmiri Green Tea )

There is something innately special about teatime rituals. Some find it therapeutic or rejuvenating, others use it as an opportunity to bond and a few like me consider it as sacred. For me, those 15 minutes in the morning when I take my first cuppa set the tone for the rest of the day. The morning breeze accompanied by a silence that is broken only by the fluttering of the pigeons helps me reach a state when I strike a conversation with my inner self. And on most days, it is the only cherished 'me' time that I can manage to find.

There is no denying that tea is akin to a holistic experience. But being the tea addict that I am, I end up trying various flavours of tea on a regular basis instead of sticking to one. Every time I visit a hill station or a shop that sells gourmet tea, I never forget to pick up a new blend. And it happens quite often that the half finished packets end up in a corner of the cupboard as I move on to a new blend.

Recently it was post on Pintrest that got me all excited about trying out Kahwa. While I did look up quite a few recipes on the net, this one comes straight from Sanjay Raina who runs Mealability that specializes in Kashmiri cuisine. I did not have the Kahwa green leaves in stock so made it with some green tea leaves that I had picked up from Coonoor . 

Read on -





Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 

  • 2 1/2 cups of water
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp green tea leaves
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 1 green cardamom
  • a few strands of saffron
  • a few slivers of almond

Preparation - Bring to water to a boil along with sugar and the spices. Let it simmer for 5-7 mins.

Rub the tea leaves gently between your palms before adding to the water. Remove from flame and let it steep for 2-3 mins.

Strain into cups. Add the almond slivers. 

Serve hot.






















Sunday, December 25, 2016

Kahwa Bubble Tea ( And the last Collab for 2016 )

'Eat clean, workout everyday and live healthy'. This just about summarizes my health resolutions for the next year. And while everyone is waiting for the clock to strike midnight on the eve of New Year for going ahead with their resolutions, I believe in doing it 'now'. Yes, my resolutions are very much 'on the floor' as I am consciously making healthy choices even as I eat out (rarely though) during this festive period. For example, just last night I opted for an 'Penne Arrabiata' instead of digging into those sinful pizzas, pies and creamy pastas that everyone was ordering. And picked a plain lime water to go with it. No soda . No sugar. Hardly a bad choice when I think about the number of calories that I avoided in one single meal. Small changes that go a long long way in one's battle against the bulge.

And since I am totally focused on the 'eat clean' goal for 2017, 'drink clean' also becomes an inseparable part of my goal by default. It is hardly possible to meet the goal of keeping one's system clean if one is guzzling up on those chemical/alcohol/sugar laden drinks. And for that sole reason, I will be sharing more about natural drinks on the blog in the coming year.

Coming back to our last collaboration ( with Parinaaz's A Dollop Of That ) for 2016, we are sharing the recipes for some celebratory drinks/mocktails that will add zing to your house parties. Skipping the alcohol, we are keeping it colorful and refreshing. My contribution is a Kahwa flavored bubble tea. Sourced from the pristine Kashmir valley, this variety of green tea is much more flavorful that the others I have tried till date. And as far as bubble teas are concerned, they are going to be the next big thing ! Don't you want to be the first one to introduce it to your guests ?

Read on -






Preparation Time - 20 mins ( plus standby time for soaking the tapioca pearls )

Ingredients -
  • 1/2 cup tapioca pearls ( the bigger the better )
  • 3 tsp Kahwa Green Tea ( or use regular green tea )
  • a few strands of saffron
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1-2 green cardamom
  • honey as per taste
  • 4-5 cups water 
  • edible blue color ( I used dried Aparajita flowers. also called 'clitoria ternatea' )

Preparation - Wash and soak the tapioca pearls overnight.

Take out 2 tsp of the soaked pearls and add to a saucepan along with 2 cups of water and a pinch of saffron. Boil till you get a thick gel like consistency.

Color the remaining pearls with the blue dye.

Boil 4 cups water in a saucepan along with cinnamon and cardamom. Switch off flame after 5 mins. Add the green tea and cover. Keep aside for 5 mins. Strain and let it cool down. Pop it into the fridge for 15-20 mins. Sweeten with honey as per preference.

For assembling the final drink - Place 2 tbsp of the blue pearls at the bottom of a tall glass. Top it up with the golden saffron flavored gel. Now very carefully, top it up with the chilled Kahwa tea.

Serve immediately.







































Don't forget to check out another amazing drink by an awesome blogger -























Blue Mule Mocktail by Parinaaz !!

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