Gulab Rani Sabudana (tapioca pearls) Kheer
This rich tea'licious treat is perfect to enjoy in the spring! Make it ahead for dessert or indulge at breakfast!
The Chai Bar's Gulab Rani - Kashmiri Pink Chai Blend is the perfect chai to enjoy on days that Mother Nature doesn't know what kind of weather she wants! Some days we enjoy Chilled Chai, others, Mother Nature has us layered in jackets and wanting to sip on more decadent Pink Chai recipes.
This particular recipe is our personal invention.
We have taken the best of Pink Chai and Sabudana Kheer (tapioca pudding) put together to make a rich dessert. We used The Chai Bar's Gulab Rani - Kashmiri Pink Chai Blend and Sabudana to make this delicacy. It is the perfect pair—full of ingredients that provide energy and satisfy our sweet tooth.
Kheer is an Indian dessert made with either vermicelli noodles, rice, or tapioca balls mixed with condensed or evaporated milk, usually flavored with flowers, nuts, and spices.
In today's recipe, we are using Sabudana to make a special creamy, rosy, nutty cardamom-filled kheer.
Sabudana is derived from the extracts of the plant roots and is full of health benefits. We have heard of boba balls, tapioca pearls soaked in flavors, sugar, and colors often added to chilled drinks like Boba Brew. Sabudana is a similar healthier form of Indian tapioca balls.
In Indian culture, Sabudana or white tapioca pearls are a staple during days of fasting, such as Navratri. The reason is that anything made with Sabudana provides a quick boost of energy. It is gluten-free and aids in digestion, adding to dietary fiber that helps rebalance healthy gut bacteria. It is rich in potassium and keeps blood pressure regulated by promoting healthy blood flow. Sabudana is a low-cholesterol food. It is a source of vitamin B6 and folate. It also aids in muscle growth by helping repair damaged cells and tissues.
Sabudana is an excellent pre and post-workout meal. It is high in calcium, magnesium, and iron, which helps improve muscle density.
This miracle food helps in lowering the risk of arthritis and osteoporosis.
Pink Chai is made using pretty pink rose petals layered with Green Tea sourced from the foothills of the Himalayas. Hand blended with spices to create an aromatic tea. This is a smooth and elegant brew. With a floral bouquet of rosy notes, a hint of nuttiness, a dash of cinnamon, and a sprinkle of star anise, it is the perfect blend of cardamom and rose. This chai is also known as noon- or salt- chai because it has a salty, as well as sweet flavor.
THE TASTE
Head Notes: Floral, mildly spicy;Body Notes: Nutty and earthy;
Tail Notes: Light hints of spice.
This is a fan favorite blend, sweet, salty, creamy, and nutty. It compares to Spanish hot chocolate or white hot chocolate but is still very different in terms of flavor. As the name suggests, this chai originated in Kashmir, the northernmost part of India, where winters' temperature dips down to -30°C / -22°F.
A must try, an absolute treat to eyes and taste buds; this famous blend gained popularity when Madura sold freshly brewed chai at the local Philly farmers market. People loved pink chai so much that the concept of selling a blend emerged from the demand for pink chai.
THE SMELL
Opening the box will fill the room with the blissful scent of cardamom. The first sip will transport your tastebuds to a snowy mountaintop with grassy green slopes full of Gulmohar flowers.
If we haven't tempted you enough, the pretty pink color of this chai garnished with rose petals and pistachios makes for a beautiful Instagram photo!
THE COLOR
Color: Vibrant to light dusty pink.
The Chai Bar Kashmiri Pink Chai does not have any added pigment or food color. Unlike some dipping bags that would give you a chai that is a neon, almost highlighter pink, our chai blend results in a beautiful dusty fuchsia tea. We highly recommend you make Kashmiri Pink Chai using a non pigmented blend.
So how does this tea get the pink color?
It's all in the method of preparation and aeration. Traditionally this method is called "pulling". Read the recipe below for detailed instructions. If you follow the traditional recipe, it is simply the oxidation that results in the change of color. In the modern quicker recipe, you could use baking soda to develop the color quicker.
To make this rich tea'licious Pink Chai Pudding, we blend together creamy pink chai, crunchy nuts, spicy spices, and smooth tapioca balls.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup soaked Sabudana
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Milk
- 3/4 cup Condensed Milk
- 1/2 cup Kashmiri Pink Chai Kawa
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Rose Water
- 1 Cardamom Pod
- 1 tsp Rani Rose Sugar
- 2 tbsp Slivered almonds and pistachios
HOW TO MAKE KAWA
Instructions:
Step 1: Add The Chai Bar - Gulab Rani Green Tea Blend to a 6-quart size pot of water and bring it to a boil on medium to high flame.
Make sure to use a cup measure the first few times. Too much water, and your tea will not turn out as creamy or flavorful as we'd like.
Step 2: Using a ladle and keep stirring this mix.
Step 3: When the water has reduced to 25%, add 2 cups of ice-cold water to shock the tea. *make sure it is ice-cold and not tap-cold.
Step 4: Repeat the shocking process 3 to 4 times or until you see dark brown/maroon color develop.
Step 5: Strain your chai and pull using two metal cups. (It's a very important step, do not skip)
TEA'P: You can pre-make the tea base and store it in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Before serving, add milk, salt, and sugar, then boil it for about 10 mins. And your lovely 'Kashmiri Pink Chai' is ready.
TEA'P: If you have a nut allergy, you could make a rose sugar garnish by melting down some sugar and dipping rose petals in it.
HOW TO MAKE PINK CHAI PUDDING
STEP 1: Soak Sabudana in water overnight.
STEP 2: In a medium pot, add Sabudana and milk. Cook for 5 to 8 mins, stirring occasionally.
STEP 3: Meanwhile, add condensed milk to warm Kashmiri Kawa and set aside until Sabudana is cooking.
STEP 4: After the Sabudana is cooked, add warm Kawa and condensed milk mix to the pot and bring it to a boil.
STEP 5: Turn off the heat, add salt, rose water, and give it a stir.
STEP 6: Garnish it with slivered almonds and pistachios and serve hot or chill in the fridge for 4 hours and serve chilled!
If you love The Chai Bar's Gulab Rani Kashmiri Pink Chai Blend, you must try this recipe for Pink Chai Ice Cream with a salty paratha waffle cone.