Somali shaah

Name: Somali shaah
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 300 ml water; 5 g black tea leaves; 300 ml milk; 4 cardamom, crushed; 1 stick cinnamon; 3 cloves; 5 g fresh ginger, sliced; 1 pinch black pepper (optional); 4 tsp sugar

Vegetarian

Shaah cadays

Black tea boiled with milk, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and ginger and sweetened well. Drunk several times a day in Somali households, often with sambusa or canjeero.

Somali shaah is a Somali hot drink from Somalia, ready in about 10 minutes and made with black tea leaves and milk. It serves 3 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 2 min
Cook: 8 min
Total: 10 min
Serves: 3
Level: Beginner
Calories: 89

Ingredients

3 cups

300 ml Water (opens in a new tab)
5 g Black tea leaves (opens in a new tab)About 2 tsp loose black tea.
300 ml Milk (opens in a new tab)Swap: Evaporated milk (Topped up with water.)Contains milk
4 (1 g) Cardamom (opens in a new tab), crushed
1 stick (3 g) Cinnamon (opens in a new tab)
3 (0.5 g) Cloves (opens in a new tab)
5 g Fresh ginger (opens in a new tab), sliced
1 pinch (0 g) Black pepper (opens in a new tab) (optional)
4 tsp (17 g) Sugar (opens in a new tab)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Boil the water with the cardamom (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab), cloves (opens in a new tab), ginger and pepper (opens in a new tab) for 3 minutes, then add the loose tea and boil 1 minute more.
- 4 min
- high heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Add the milk (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) and bring back just to the boil, watching that it does not boil over.
- 4 min
- medium heat
3
Step 3
Strain into cups and serve hot.
- Sieve / strainer (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Somalia · Commonly attributedBelongs to the wider family of Indian Ocean spiced milk teas.Also popular in Djibouti, KenyaMore food from Somalia
Dish: Breakfast · Snack · Hot drinks
Cooking method: Boiled
Taste: aromatic / warmly spiced, sweet, creamy
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with: Black tea leaves · Milk · Cardamom · Cinnamon · Cloves · Fresh ginger
Techniques: Boiling

Allergens

Contains: Milkfrom milk

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

89 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 212 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

Protein 14%
Carbohydrate 52%
Fat 33%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	89 kcal	42 kcal
Protein	3.3 g	1.6 g
Carbohydrate	11.9 g	5.6 g
Net carbohydrate	11.2 g	5.3 g
Sugars	10.8 g	5.1 g
Added sugars	5.6 g	2.6 g
Fibre	0.7 g	0.3 g
Fat	3.4 g	1.6 g
Saturated fat	1.9 g	0.9 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	10 mg	5 mg
Sodium	47 mg	22 mg
Salt equivalent	0.1 g	0.1 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 151 mg
Calcium: 138 mg
Iron: 0.2 mg
Magnesium: 14 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 48 µg
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: 1.3 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.5 µg
Folate (DFE): 5 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: black pepper.
Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): black 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

Crush the cardamom pods just before using for the strongest aroma.

Common mistakes

Boiling the tea leaves too long — it becomes bitter and tannic.

Storage

Best made fresh; leftover tea can be refrigerated for a day and reheated just to the boil.

Variations

Shaah bigays: Make it without milk for a lighter spiced black tea.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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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.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Milk300 ml · 309 g

Used in step 2

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

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