Sulaimani Chai Recipe (Malabar Spiced Tea)
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Sulaimani chai is a clear, spiced black tea from Kerala’s Malabar coast, brewed without milk and finished with a squeeze of lime. It takes 12 minutes, one pan, and eight ingredients. Make it using my easy recipe.
Quick Look: Sulaimani Chai
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Calories: Approx. 25 per serving
Dietary Info: Vegan, gluten-free
Skill Level: Easy
Tools Needed: Mortar and pestle, saucepan, tea strainer.
Table of Contents
My Nana Ji drank this tea every single day. Nobody in the family called it Sulaimani. It was just “Nana Ji wali chai”: amber-coloured, no milk, a little sour, a little sweet, and very hot.
I only learned its real name on a trip to Hyderabad. We had eaten far too much biryani at lunch, and the man at the tea stall handed me a small glass of golden liquid with a lime wedge on the rim. One sip and I was back in my grandfather’s kitchen.
I have made it his way ever since. This is that recipe.
What Is Sulaimani Chai?
Sulaimani chai (also spelled sulaimani tea or sulemani chai) is a black tea brewed without milk, flavored with whole spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, lightly sweetened, and finished with fresh lime juice.
It is a signature drink of the Mappila Muslim community on the Malabar coast of Kerala, and you’ll also find it in the old city of Hyderabad. It is traditionally served after heavy meals, especially biryani, because the spices and lime feel cleansing after rich food.
If you’re in the mood for a milky tea instead, adrak wali chai and Hyderabadi Irani chai are two of my other favorites from the same region.
Why Is It Called “Sulaimani Chai”
The tea came to Malabar with Arab traders centuries ago. The most common explanation is that “Sulaimani” was the local name for those traders, and the tea took the name of the people who brought it. Some versions trace the word to the Arabic Sulaiman (Solomon), associated with wisdom and simple living. Either way, it is Malabar’s tea now.
Sulaimani chai vs masala chai vs kahwa
People mix these three up all the time, and I understand why. They share half their spice box. But they are very different cups of tea.
Sulaimani chai is black tea brewed in water with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, then finished with a squeeze of lime. There is no milk. The result is clear, amber, and light on the tongue, which is why it is served after heavy meals like biryani. The lime is what sets it apart from every other Indian tea.
Masala chai starts with the same black tea and many of the same spices, but the whole thing is simmered with milk and sugar until it turns creamy and opaque. Ginger and black pepper usually lead, often in the form of ready-made chai masala powder. It is a morning tea, a breakfast tea, a tea for dunking biscuits. My masala chai recipe is the one to reach for if you want something milky and filling.
Kashmiri kahwa is the odd one out because it is not black tea at all. It is green tea, brewed with cardamom, cinnamon, and saffron, and served with slivered almonds floating on top. No milk, no lime. It is gentler and more floral than sulaimani, and it is very much a winter drink. Here is my Kashmiri kahwa recipe if you want to try it.
The short version: sulaimani is the sour one, masala chai is the milky one, and kahwa is the green one.
Ingredients
To make the traditional Sulemani tea, you need a few simple ingredients
- Fresh ginger – This is what gives the tea its warmth at the back of the throat.
- Whole Spices such as cloves (laung), cinnamon (dalchini), and green cardamoms (hari elaichi) are used to spice the tea.
- Sugar – You can replace sugar with other sweeteners, such as honey (not vegan), liquid stevia, or powdered jaggery.
- Freshly squeezed lime juice – You can replace it with lemon juice.
- Black tea leaves (chai patti) – Loose CTC tea gives the deepest color. A regular black tea bag works too. Darjeeling makes a lighter, more floral cup.
How To Make Sulaimani Chai
Step 1: Lightly crush 2-3 cloves, ½ inch piece of cinnamon stick, and 2 green cardamoms in a mortar and pestle.
You want the spices cracked open, not powdered. Cracked spices release their oils cleanly; powdered spices make the tea cloudy and slightly bitter.
Step 2: Add 2 cups of water to a saucepan along with 1 teaspoon of grated ginger and crushed spices.
Step 3: Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let the water simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon black tea leaves (or 1 tea bag).
Step 5: Let the tea simmer for 2-3 minutes until the color turns a deep amber.
Step 6: Remove the pan from the heat and strain the tea into 2 serving cups using a tea strainer.
Step 7: Add ½ teaspoon of freshly squeezed lime juice to each cup and stir well. Serve immediately!
Pro Tips By Neha
- Don’t add lime while boiling; the tea might turn bitter.
- Don’t overbrew the tea. It can give a harsh taste.
- Crush the spices lightly for better extraction.
- Keep it light, not overly spiced.
Variation
Jaggery sulaimani: Replace sugar with 1 tablespoon powdered jaggery, stirred in after straining. Deeper, more caramel-like sweetness.
Mint sulaimani (pudina sulaimani): Drop 4–5 mint leaves into the strained tea, cover for a minute, then serve. Very popular in Malabar tea shops.
Saffron sulaimani: Add a pinch of saffron with the spices in step 2. Turns the tea a richer gold.
Iced sulaimani: Brew, strain, cool to room temperature, then pour over ice with the lime. Excellent in summer.
Green tea sulaimani: Swap black tea for green tea leaves and steep off the heat for 2 minutes instead of simmering. Lighter and lower in caffeine.
Extra-spicy: Add 2–3 crushed black peppercorns and a small piece of extra ginger in step 2. This is closer to what my Nana Ji made in winter.
Serving Suggestions
In Malabar homes, sulaimani chai comes out after a heavy lunch of biryani, or at weddings and festival meals when everyone has eaten too much. That’s still the best time to drink it.
It also makes a lovely afternoon cup with something fried, such as pazham pori (banana fritters), unnakkaya, or plain biscuits. My husband likes it with a handful of dates.
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Sulaimani Chai Recipe (Malabar Spiced Tea)
Ingredients
- 2-3 cloves (laung)
- ½ inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 2 green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon black tea leaves (chai patti) (or 1 tea bag)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Instructions
- Lightly crush cloves, cinnamon stick, and cardamoms in a mortar and pestle.
- Add water to a saucepan along with ginger, and crushed spices.
- Bring the water to a boil over medium heat.
- Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let the water simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in sugar and tea. Let the tea simmer for 2-3 minutes until the color turns a deep amber.
- Remove the pan from the heat and strain the tea into 2 serving cups using a tea strainer.
- Add ½ teaspoon lime juice to each cup and stir well. Serve immediately!
wow!. Will defintly try this. Also the recipe is given in details. Thanks. – homeculinarycrafts.com