☕ Saffron karak
Saffron karak is the Gulf's cafeteria karak tea with an extra pinch of saffron. Black tea is boiled hard with cardamom and sugar, then finished with evaporated milk, and the saffron gives it a golden tint and a floral, slightly honeyed aroma. It is served hot in small cups and is a popular evening order at tea stalls.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 ml water
- 2 tbsp loose black tea
- 4 cardamom pods, crushed
- A generous pinch of saffron
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 150 ml evaporated milk
Method
- Soak the saffron in 2 tbsp hot water for 5 minutes.
- Boil the water with the cardamom, add the tea and sugar and boil for 3–4 minutes.
- Add the evaporated milk and the saffron with its water and boil again, letting it rise twice.
- Strain and serve hot.
How to make it lighter
- Halve the sugar — saffron and cardamom already give a rich, sweet-smelling cup.
- Use light evaporated milk to reduce fat.
- Stick to one small cup and log it like a snack rather than a plain tea.
History
Saffron karak is a variation on karak chai, the strong milk tea that spread across the Gulf from South Asian tea traditions. Adding saffron, a spice long prized in Gulf coffee and sweets, is a local touch now offered by many cafeterias in the UAE and Qatar.
Count it in one photo
Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Saffron karak and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.
Download on the App StoreSimilar dishes
Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →