Saffron Karak

Strong saffron karak tea simmered with black tea, cardamom, evaporated milk and a touch of saffron until rich and aromatic.

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Karak is woven into everyday UAE life. The drink is simple, but simmering the tea and spices long enough before adding milk creates the strong flavour that defines a good cup.

Ingredients

• 750 ml water
• 4 black tea bags (or 4 teaspoons loose tea)
• 6 green cardamom pods (lightly crushed)
• 1 pinch saffron threads
• 300 ml evaporated milk
• 3 tbsp caster sugar (or to taste)
• 10 g fresh ginger (sliced, optional)
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)

Step-by-step method

1. Put the water, cardamom and ginger if using into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes so the spices begin flavouring the water.
2. Add the black tea and simmer for another 2–3 minutes. The liquid should become noticeably dark and strong because the milk will soften the flavour later.
3. Add the saffron and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Start with less sugar if you prefer, because it is easy to sweeten more at the end.
4. Pour in the evaporated milk and reduce the heat to medium-low. Watch the pan closely because milk tea can rise suddenly when it approaches a boil.
5. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the colour deepens and the tea smells strongly of cardamom and saffron.
6. Taste and adjust the sugar. For a stronger tea, simmer 1–2 minutes longer; for a lighter cup, add a small splash of hot water or milk.
7. Strain through a fine sieve into a heatproof jug, then pour into small cups and serve immediately while hot and aromatic.