Kahwaقہوہ

Name: Kahwa
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Kashmiri
Ingredients: 2 tsp good-quality loose green tea (or Kashmiri kehwa blend); 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 2cm piece cinnamon stick; 2 whole cloves; 10–12 strands saffron strands; 1–2 tsp honey or sugar, to taste; 1 tbsp blanched almonds, slivered; 1 tsp dried culinary rose petals (optional)

⏱ Prep 5m🍳 Cook 10m🍽 Serves 2🌿 Vegan

Video: Cook with Lubna (YouTube)

Kahwa is Kashmir's answer to the cold — a saffron-gilded, cardamom-scented green tea that warms you from the inside. Brewed in the traditional copper samovar and served in small handleless cups, it is the first thing offered to guests in a Kashmiri home. The saffron is not decoration: it gives the tea a faintly floral, honey-sweet depth that no other spice can replicate, and a generous pinch — not a whisper — is what separates a real Kahwa from a pale imitation.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

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Ingredients

▪good-quality loose green tea (or Kashmiri kehwa blend)2 tsp
▪water500ml
▪green cardamom pods, lightly crushed4
▪cinnamon stick2cm piece
▪whole cloves2
▪saffron strands10–12 strands
▪honey or sugar, to taste1–2 tsp
▪blanched almonds, slivered1 tbsp
▪dried culinary rose petals (optional)1 tsp

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Authentic Kashmiri kehwa blend (lightly processed green tea with saffron and spice) is sold online by brands like Wazwan House or Kashmir Valley Tea. Outside South Asia, a good loose-leaf green tea — Chinese gunpowder or Dragonwell — works well; the spices do the rest.
Kashmiri saffron (Pampore variety) has a more pronounced colour and floral note than Iranian saffron; both work. Buy a small quantity from a reputable South Asian grocer — cheap saffron is often adulterated and won't colour or flavour the tea properly.
Dried culinary rose petals are available at Middle Eastern, Persian, or Indian grocery stores, and online. Use only food-grade petals, never florist roses (which are treated with pesticides).

Method

1Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan.
2Add cardamom pods, cinnamon, and cloves. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.
3Add the green tea leaves and saffron strands. Steep for exactly 3 minutes — any longer and the tea turns bitter.
4Remove from heat and stir in honey or sugar.
5Strain into cups through a fine-mesh strainer.
6Float slivered almonds on top and scatter rose petals if using. Serve immediately, piping hot.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.