We love a karak as much as anyone and Mohammed Ismail, who has been running the beverage side of things at The National for the past decade, makes an unmatchable cup. He agreed to share his recipe with our readers
Karak chai
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves 8
Ingredients
A pinch of saffron; a dash of rose water; an inch of fresh ginger; two sticks of cinnamon; 6 cardamom pods, crushed; 4 heaped tablespoons of loose leaf Lipton black tea; milk
Method
▶ Boil the saffron for 10 minutes until the water takes on an orange hue
▶ Next add the spices and rose water and bring back to the boil
▶ The loose tea leaves are added next and the mixture brought back to the boil. Boil for another 10 minutes
▶ Three to four minutes before serving, add the milk and bring the karak chai back to the boil
Editor’s note: Karak recipes differ between people. Traditionalists may dispute the use of some of the ingredients, so discover what you like
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