Why Kashmiri tea should be your choice for cold days

Kashmiri chai's other names are gulabi chai, pink tea, and noon chai. (Photo courtesy: FlourAndSpiceblog/Instagram)
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Updated 06 January 2020
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Why Kashmiri tea should be your choice for cold days

  • Kashmiri tea is also known as noon chai and gulabi chai
  • Traditionally it is not served sweet, but Pakistanis like to have it for dessert

ISLAMABAD: When winter is in full swing, with temperatures across Pakistan dropping dramatically, a warm pink drink with cardamom, pistachios and some salt can provide a great respite. As Arab News will tell you how to brew, and we are sure this Kashmiri chai is going to become your cup of tea.

Also known as noon chai (“noon” meaning salt in many South Asian languages) and gulabi chai (“gulabi” means pink in Urdu and Punjabi), Kashmiri tea is made from green tea leaves that have been rolled into small balls, also known as gunpowder. Its signature pink hue comes from a specific brewing process.

When the tea is boiled through and becomes brown, baking soda is tossed into the water and sodium bicarbonate turns its color into a saturated red hue. Mixed with milk or cream, the drink becomes deliciously baby pink.

Kashmiri chai is not a light on the belly sort of drink. Often made with heavy cream or full-fat milk, it is customizable with salt, sugar and nut garnish – all usually the drinker’s choice. You can drown sugar in it to match the overall saccharine aesthetic of the drink, or you can throw in a bunch of nuts and control its sweetness with salt. Kashmiri chai is traditionally not served as a sweet forward tea, but Pakistanis like to have it for dessert.

Making Kashmiri chai at home has a nostalgic and luxurious feel to it, but it requires some patience and elbow grease to get the mix cooked properly. The following tried and tested recipe by Karachi-based food blog Mirchi Tales will help you do it just right.

Ingredients:

1 liter of water
4 teaspoons Kashmiri chai leaves (1 teaspoon for a 250 ml cup)
½ teaspoon baking soda
500 ml ice-cold water or ice-cubes
1 liter of milk
½ teaspoon salt
3-4 crushed cardamom/elaichi pods
Almonds and pistachios crushed to garnish
Sugar to taste

Instructions:

Heat one liter of water in a large and wide saucepan. Once it boils, add the tea leaves and let the mixture boil for 10-15 minutes or until it reduces to about half the initial amount.

Turn heat to low and add baking soda. The soda will bubble up and there will be a hint of pink around the edges. Too much baking soda can result in a bitter aftertaste, so be careful. Cook the mixture on medium heat for three to four minutes until it turns brown with hints of red. Turn off the heat, and strain the green tea.

Fill a jug with 500 ml of ice-cold water. Add a few ice-cubes to make sure it is chilled.

Take a large spoon or soup ladle and stir the tea mixture by pouring and re-pouring it from a height. This is known as “paitha lagana” in Urdu. Pour and re-pour using one hand and add ice-cold water slowly from the other hand. Continue doing this for at least five to 10 minutes as this is what brings out the pink color. Once you are done and the color of the tea is dark red, strain it to another saucepan.

The tea for Kashmiri chai is ready and can be poured into a jug and kept in the fridge for a week or so until you decide to mix it with milk. Based on the quantity in the recipe, you should have around one liter of tea.

Heat the tea in a saucepan. Add milk to taste. The ratio is 1:1, that is for every 500 ml of tea, add 500 ml of milk. For creamier tea add more milk.

Add crushed cardamom seeds, salt and optionally sugar. Once it starts boiling, lower heat to simmer and cook for a minimum of 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on the tea to make sure it does not boil over, and if necessary add more milk.

Pour into mugs and add crushed almonds and pistachios for garnish.


Pakistan says sharing battlefield intel with China on India air war last month

Updated 8 sec ago
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Pakistan says sharing battlefield intel with China on India air war last month

  • Defense minister denies Chinese satellites assisted Pakistan in monitoring Indian troop and missiles movements during India standoff in May
  • Says Chinese personnel were not able to track fighting in real time or access Pakistan Air Force monitoring systems between May 7-10

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said this week it was “very normal” for Islamabad to share battlefield intelligence with close ally China in the aftermath of last month’s brief but intense military confrontation with India, though he downplayed suggestions Beijing played a direct operational role or provided decisive satellite support during the aerial fight.

The May 7–10 conflict — the heaviest fighting in decades — has drawn significant interest from Western militaries, security observers and diplomats, who see it as a rare opportunity for China to study the performance of Indian pilots, fighter jets, air defense systems and air-to-air missiles in real combat conditions.

With Beijing locked in its own longstanding border disputes and strategic rivalry with New Delhi, analysts believe any Pakistani data trove could sharpen China’s military readiness.

China is already Pakistan’s principal supplier of military hardware, providing fighter jets, missiles, submarines and surveillance technology. The two neighbors share a strategic alliance driven in part by their disputes with India, which has fought wars with both nations. Close economic and security ties, anchored by the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has further strengthened the relationship.

“It is very normal if we are sharing any information which we have which can threaten us or the Chinese because the Chinese also have problems with India,” Asif told Arab News in an interview this week when questioned if Pakistan was sharing intelligence with Beijing on Indian use of air defenses and launches of cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as command and control information.

“I think it’s very natural if we share intelligence which is gathered through satellites or gathered through other means.”

In the military confrontation that began on May 7, Indian fighter jets bombed what New Delhi called “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan in response to an April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

Islamabad denied involvement in the Kashmir assault but retaliated to the Indian airstrikes with tit-for-tat military action that involved fighter jets, drones, missiles and artillery. A ceasefire was brokered by the US and announced on May 10.

Pakistan said its Chinese jets shot down at least six Indian military planes, including three French-made Rafales, during the four days of clashes. General Anil Chauhan, India’s chief of defense staff, has admitted that an unspecified number of its jets were lost.

‘MADE IN PAKISTAN’ VICTORY
The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) says China now operates at least 115 satellites dedicated to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and 81 for monitoring military electronic and signals data, a network second only to the United States and far ahead of India’s capabilities.
According to two Islamabad-based Western diplomats involved in the May ceasefire negotiations and one Pakistani security official, all of whom requested anonymity, 44 of these satellites were at Pakistan’s disposal during the conflict with India. The Western officials suggest the Chinese satellite and signals intelligence may have assisted Pakistan in monitoring Indian troop and missile movements during the air war, possibly giving Pakistan a real-time edge.

The Pakistani defense minister rejected the claims.

“You are underestimating the ability of our armed forces,” Asif said, cautioning against downplaying Pakistan’s own capabilities in electronic warfare and precision targeting.

Asked directly about the use of Chinese satellite capabilities for any kind of support during the fighting, the defense chief said:

“I don’t know and I don’t think so … We are very advanced as far as this warfare is concerned … China’s help is always, always very valuable … but this fight was Pakistani, the victory is ‘Made in Pakistan’.”

He also denied that Chinese personnel were able to monitor the fighting in real time or access Pakistan Air Force monitoring systems during the May 7–10 period.

“No, I don’t think so they had any access. They were watching the situation very closely, as a neighbor, as a friend,” Asif said. “But I’ll again assert that this war was fought by our boys and girls.”

While Asif noted that Pakistan sourced most of its military hardware — including submarines, aircraft and weapons — from China, as well as some from Turkiye, the United States and European countries, he maintained that the actual fighting remained fully under Pakistani command.

“So, in that backdrop [of China being a major defense supplier], you can always speculate that China was very helpful to us in this conflict,” he said. “But physical participation or participation through satellites or through other means, I don’t think so.”

China has been Pakistan’s closest defense partner since the 1960s and the Pakistan Air Force operates a fleet of Chinese JF-10C multirole fighters, and JF-17 Thunder planes, jointly developed and assembled in Pakistan to reduce dependence on Western defense equipment.

After the India standoff, Beijing is also widely reported to be fast-tracking the sale of fifth-generation J-35 stealth jets to Islamabad, potentially giving Pakistan deep-strike capabilities into Indian airspace.

Asked if the J-35 jets would be delivered in 2026 as suggested in recent media reports, Asif responded:

“I think it’s only in the media, you know. It’s only in the media and it’s good for sales, Chinese defense sales.”

NUCLEAR ALERT POSTURE?

A full-scale war between India and Pakistan — both nuclear powers — remains one of the most dangerous strategic flashpoints in the world. Experts have long warned that even limited, high-intensity skirmishes run the risk of unintended escalation toward nuclear war.

Asked if last month’s clash had triggered any consideration of moving to a nuclear alert posture, Asif was categorical:

“No… Absolutely, with certainty I can say that.”

He also dismissed the idea that Pakistan had considered launching a broader conventional offensive across the border, saying modern warfare was no longer dependent on crossing territorial lines:

“Now you don’t have to cross the border. You don’t have to capture the territory. Capturing territory or crossing over... that is something which is obsolete. War is being fought now... cyber.”

The defense minister also said there had been no back-channel diplomacy between Islamabad and New Delhi following the May 10 ceasefire, although military operations heads in both countries had been in contact via a hotline.

And while the Pakistan-India clash may have faded from global headlines amid the ongoing crisis between Israel and Iran in the Middle East, Asif said India remained Pakistan’s most pressing security concern.

“We have been on alert so we have not lowered guards, that I can confirm,” the defense minister said, particularly due to concerns Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could resort to fresh military action as he was under pressure from a public questioning how Pakistani forces struck military facilities deep inside the country and downed Indian jets.

Modi also has domestic political pressures to manage ahead of elections in Bihar, a pivotal swing state that is crucial for both national and state-level power equations.

“Modi has internal compulsions to avenge [the May conflict] … There are elections around the corner… and his popularity has plummeted, his political opponents can smell blood, politically,” Asif said.

“That can drive him to some desperate measures, otherwise, I don’t think so there is a possibility of some replay of what happened a month back.”


India says it will never restore Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan

Updated 21 June 2025
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India says it will never restore Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan

  • India put into ‘abeyance’ its participation in the 1960 treaty, which governs usage of the Indus river system
  • The treaty had guaranteed water access for 80 percent of Pakistan’s farms through three rivers originating in India

NEW DELHI: India will never restore the Indus Waters Treaty with Islamabad and the water flowing to Pakistan will be diverted for internal use, Home Minister Amit Shah said in an interview with Times of India on Saturday.

India put into “abeyance” its participation in the 1960 treaty, which governs the usage of the Indus river system, after 26 civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir were killed in what Delhi described as an act of terror. The treaty had guaranteed water access for 80 percent of Pakistan’s farms through three rivers originating in India.

Pakistan has denied involvement in the incident, but the accord remains dormant despite a ceasefire agreed upon by the two nuclear-armed neighbors last month following their worst fighting in decades.

“No, it will never be restored,” Shah told the daily.

“We will take water that was flowing to Pakistan to Rajasthan by constructing a canal. Pakistan will be starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably,” Shah said, referring to the northwestern Indian state.

The latest comments from Shah, the most powerful cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, have dimmed Islamabad’s hopes for negotiations on the treaty in the near term.

Last month, Reuters reported that India plans to dramatically increase the water it draws from a major river that feeds Pakistani farms downstream, as part of retaliatory action.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comments.

But it has said in the past that the treaty has no provision for one side to unilaterally pull back and that any blocking of river water flowing to Pakistan will be considered “an act of war.”

Islamabad is also exploring a legal challenge to India’s decision to hold the treaty in abeyance under international law.


Pakistan to face New Zealand in FIH Nations Cup final today

Updated 21 June 2025
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Pakistan to face New Zealand in FIH Nations Cup final today

  • Pakistan defeated France 3-2 on penalty shootouts in the semifinal
  • Pakistani goalkeeper Muneeb-ur-Rehman blocked three French chances

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will face New Zealand today, Saturday, in the final of the Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) Nations Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Spirited Pakistan defeated France 3-2 on penalty shootouts to qualify for the Nations Cup final at the National Hockey Stadium on Friday.

Goalkeeper Muneeb-ur-Rehman blocked three French chances, while Rana Waheed Ashraf, Hannan Shahid and Afraz struck for Pakistan to clinch a highly-rewarding victory.

“Heartiest congratulations to our Green Shirts on reaching the Nations Cup final,” Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on X.

“The team turned the match around with courage, skill and determination — a proud moment for the entire nation.”

Hockey is Pakistan’s national sport. The national team boasts a proud legacy with three Olympic gold medals in 1960, 1968 and 1984, along with four World Cup titles in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.

But the sport has faced a sharp decline in Pakistan in recent decades due to administrative challenges, underinvestment and inadequate infrastructure. Renewed efforts are underway to revive the game with increased

government support, youth development initiatives and greater international engagement aimed at restoring Pakistan’s former glory in the sport.

The winner of Saturday’s final will earn promotion to the elite FIH Hockey Pro League 2025–26 season.


Israel-Tehran conflict cripples border trade between Pakistan and Iran

Updated 21 June 2025
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Israel-Tehran conflict cripples border trade between Pakistan and Iran

  • Markets have been closed and dozens of trucks stranded at Pakistan’s Taftan border crossing with Iran since June 15
  • The key border crossing in Pakistan’s Balochistan typically handles daily exchanges in fuel, food and household goods

QUETTA: The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran has crippled border trade between Pakistan and Iran, transporters and traders said this week, with markets closed and dozens of trucks stranded on the Pakistani side of the border.

Pakistan shares a 959-kilometer border with Iran in its southwest and the trade volume between the two countries stood at $2.8 billion in the last fiscal year that ended in June 2024, according to Pakistani state media.

In Feb., the two neighbors signed an agreement to take the bilateral trade volume to $10 billion, but tensions between Iran and Israel prompted Pakistan to suspend operations at the Taftan border crossing in Balochistan on June 15, mirroring the Iranian side’s restrictions following Israeli airstrikes.

“We’ve been stuck here in Taftan for four to five days, with six to seven vehicles,” Syed Khalil Ahmed, a local transporter, told Reuters on Friday. “We’re waiting for it to reopen so we can load our goods. The market is closed, and there’s a shortage of food and drinks.”

Israel began attacking Iran on June 13, saying its longtime enemy was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel.

The Taftan border, a vital trade artery which typically handles daily exchanges in fuel, food and household goods, is now left paralyzed. Local traders said 90 percent of goods in Taftan typically come from Iran.

“With the border closed, no goods are arriving [from Iran] ... Local traders with Pakistani passports can’t enter Iran, and Iranian passport holders can only reach the border and return,” said Hajji Shaukat Ali, an importer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

“This is hurting local businesses and traders. For us, as major LPG gas traders, some of our vehicles are stuck en route and won’t be able to reach us now.”

Ahmed said they were losing approximately Rs20,000 ($70) per truck daily while facing critical shortages of essential supplies.

“We’re managing with what we have, but it’s tough,” he added.


Islamabad rejects Indian media claims about Pakistan requesting truce in last month’s conflict

Updated 21 June 2025
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Islamabad rejects Indian media claims about Pakistan requesting truce in last month’s conflict

  • Indian media outlets this week reported that Islamabad requested a ceasefire after India struck key Pakistani air bases last month
  • The nuclear-armed neighbors traded drone, missile and artillery strikes in their worst conflict in decades before a US-brokered truce

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Saturday rejected Indian media reports about Pakistan requesting a ceasefire with New Delhi during their four-day military standoff last month.

Citing Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Indian media outlets this week reported that it was Islamabad that requested a ceasefire after India had hit key Pakistani air bases last month.

Pakistan and India last month traded fighter jet, missile, drone and artillery strikes after weeks of tensions between them over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Responding to Indian media reports, the Pakistani foreign office said friendly states, including Saudi Arabia and the United States, played a crucial role in facilitating last month’s ceasefire.

“The sequence of events clearly demonstrates that Pakistan did not initiate or ask anyone for a ceasefire but agreed to it when around 0815 am on 10th May 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the DPM/FM, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and informed that India is ready to ceasefire if Pakistan is willing,” it said.

“The DPM/FM confirmed Pakistan’s acceptance and later around 9 am Saudi FM Prince Faisal also called DPM/FM and informed the same about India and sought same confirmation which Secretary of State Marco Rubio had sought earlier.”

Pakistan and India have fought multiple wars since their independence from British rule in 1947. Two of the wars were over the disputed region of Kashmir, which both claim in full but rule in part.

Last month’s conflict came days after New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the deadly attack that killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. Islamabad denied any involvement.