serves
2
prep
10 minutes
cook
10 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
2
people
preparation
10
minutes
cooking
10
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 12–15 saffron threads, crushed with a mortar and pestle
- 1–2 g (1/32–1/16 oz) loose-leaf green tea, or 1 tea bag
- 2 green cardamom pods, bruised
- 2.5 cm (1 in) cassia bark stick
- 2 whole cloves
- ¼ tsp dried rose petals, plus extra to garnish
- 10 g (¼ oz) honey
- 4 almonds, thinly slivered, to serve
- Charcoal, for heating, if using a samovar (Wood chips can be used if charcoal is not available. Light wood chips after placing them in the samovar cavity.)
Instructions
- If you’re using a samovar (copper Kashmiri tea pot), place hot coals in the centre of the samovar, then pour in 400 ml (13½ fl oz) water and add all the ingredients, except for the honey and almonds. The tea will come to the boil. Allow it to bubble gently for 5–7 minutes to develop the flavours. Pour into a cup, add the honey and almonds, and drink hot.
- If you’re using a pot, combine all the ingredients, except the honey and almonds, in a pot with 400 ml (13½ fl oz) water and bring it to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 7 minutes. Once the flavours have developed, take it off the stove and let it sit for 1 hour, then place back over a high heat and bring to the boil again. Add the honey, then strain into cups, garnish with extra rose petals and serve with the slivered almonds.
Note
Saffron, which has origins in the Indus Valley Civilisation and Kashmir, is known as ‘the king of spices’ and was highly priced even at the time of the Silk Road route during the trade and migration period in India. In Kashmir, saffron grows in abundance, and the fields of purple flowers coating the landscape against the backdrop of the mountains is one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. Sipping kahwa in a shikara (wooden boat) on Dal Lake might have been touristy, but it felt complete!
This is an edited extract from by Helly Raichura (Hardie Grant Books), photography by Jana Langhorst and Brett Cole.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
