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Chai nabat (saffron rock candy tea)
چای نبات: brewed black tea sweetened by a stick of golden saffron rock candy that melts slowly as you stir
Pilgrims leaving Mashhad carry home boxes of saffron nabat, crystals of rock candy grown on a string and tinted gold with Khorasani saffron. Across Iran a glass of chai nabat is what you are handed when you feel unwell, after a shock, after an exam, or late at night when the evening meal sits heavy; it is traditionally drunk to settle the stomach and warm you up. The tea is brewed strong in a teapot that sits on top of the kettle, then poured clear and amber into small glasses, and the nabat stick is stirred until it softens the tea with a gentle, honeyed sweetness and a faint saffron aroma. Black tea has a moderate amount of caffeine, so give children a weaker glass. A common mistake is boiling the leaves or letting them steep on direct heat, which turns the tea bitter and murky; Persian tea is "dam" — brewed gently on steam. It is ready when the leaves have sunk, the tea is clear and reddish-amber and it smells of bergamot or cardamom. Chef's tip: hold the glass up to the light; if you can't see through it, top it up with hot water, as Iranians do.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the tea
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 2 tbsp loose black teaPersian, Ceylon or a mild Earl Grey
- 2 green cardamom pods (optional)lightly cracked
- 4 saffron rock candy (nabat) sticksor 4 tsp rock sugar plus a pinch of crushed saffron
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 4 ¼ cups water to the boil in a kettle. Warm a teapot by swirling a little of the hot water in it and pouring it out.
5 minStep 2: Put 2 tbsp loose black tea and 2 green cardamom pods in the teapot and pour over about 400 ml of the boiling water.
1 minStep 3: Set the teapot on top of the kettle with the lid on and keep the kettle at a very low simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the leaves have sunk and the tea is deep reddish-amber.
9 minStep 4: Pour about one third of a glass of the strong tea through a strainer, then top up with hot water from the kettle until the colour is clear amber.
1 minStep 5: Put a stick of 4 saffron rock candy (nabat) sticks in each glass and stir slowly for a minute or two, until it has sweetened the tea to your taste. Lift the stick out to keep for the next glass, or let it dissolve.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 45 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chai nabat (saffron rock candy tea) take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 13 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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