Kashmiri kahwa

Name: Kashmiri kahwa
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 13 min
Ingredients: 500 ml water; 4 g green tea leaves; 1 pinch saffron, 8–10 threads; 1 cinnamon stick, about 3 cm; 3 cardamom, lightly crushed; 1 cloves (optional); 3 tsp sugar; 12 g almonds, blanched and slivered

Vegetarian

قہوہ · kahwa

A pale gold green tea from the Kashmir valley, brewed with saffron, cinnamon and cardamom and served with slivered almonds and a little sugar or honey.

Kashmiri kahwa is an Indian hot drink, ready in about 13 minutes and made with green tea leaves and saffron. It serves 3 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 3 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 13 min
Serves: 3
Level: Beginner
Calories: 43

Ingredients

3 cups

500 ml Water (opens in a new tab)
4 g Green tea leaves (opens in a new tab)
1 pinch (0 g) Saffron (opens in a new tab), 8–10 threads
1 (3 g) Cinnamon stick (opens in a new tab), about 3 cm
3 (0.5 g) Cardamom (opens in a new tab), lightly crushed
1 (0 g) Cloves (opens in a new tab) (optional)
3 tsp (13 g) Sugar (opens in a new tab)Swap: Honey (Stir in once it has cooled slightly.)
12 g Almonds (opens in a new tab), blanched and sliveredLeave out for a nut-free cup.Contains tree nuts

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Simmer the water with the cinnamon, cardamom (opens in a new tab) and clove (opens in a new tab) for 5 minutes. Add the saffron (opens in a new tab) and simmer 1 minute more.
- 6 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Take off the heat and wait about 1 minute so the water drops to around 85 °C, then add the green tea and steep for 2–3 minutes.
- 3 min
Boiling-hot water and long steeping make green tea bitter.
3
Step 3
Divide the sugar (opens in a new tab) and almonds (opens in a new tab) between cups (or a warmed teapot (opens in a new tab)), strain the kahwa over and serve hot.
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Kashmir valley, Jammu and Kashmir, India · Commonly attributedDrunk across the Kashmir region and, in related forms, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan; traditionally brewed in a brass samovar.Also popular in PakistanMore food from India
Dish: Breakfast · Snack · Hot drinks
Cooking method: Boiled
Taste: aromatic / warmly spiced, sweet, nutty, mild
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday · Festive & celebration
Cook more with: Green tea leaves · Saffron · Cinnamon stick · Cardamom · Sugar · Almonds
Techniques: Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

Contains: Tree nutsfrom almonds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

43 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 176 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

Protein 8%
Carbohydrate 53%
Fat 39%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	43 kcal	24 kcal
Protein	0.9 g	0.5 g
Carbohydrate	6 g	3.4 g
Net carbohydrate	4.9 g	2.8 g
Sugars	4.4 g	2.5 g
Added sugars	4.2 g	2.4 g
Fibre	1.1 g	0.6 g
Fat	2 g	1.1 g
Saturated fat	0.2 g	0.1 g
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	4 mg	2 mg
Salt equivalent	0 g	0 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 36 mg
Calcium: 38 mg
Iron: 0.3 mg
Magnesium: 15 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 0 µg
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 2 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: cloves.
Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): green tea leaves.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Kashmiri households keep the kahwa hot in a samovar; at home a warmed teapot does the same.

Common mistakes

Over-steeping the tea, which hides the saffron.

Serve with

Serve with Kashmiri bakery breads such as kulcha or bakarkhani.

Storage

Best fresh; the spiced water (before the tea goes in) keeps 1 day in the fridge.

Variations

Rose kahwa: Add a few dried rose petals with the saffron.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 29 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & BlendCompare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Spices, masalas & pastes

Saffron, 8–10 threads1 pinch · 0.1 g
Cinnamon stick, about 3 cm1 piece · 3 g
Cardamom, lightly crushed3 piece · 0.6 g
Cloves (optional)1 piece · 0.1 g

Used in step 1

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

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