When it comes to Afghan hospitality, tea is everything. In Afghanistan, no visit is complete without a steaming cup of chai offered to guests. Among the many variations, Sheer Chai — literally “milk tea” — is a cozy, cardamom-infused drink that perfectly represents Afghan warmth and tradition.
For years I've wanted to do a project where I cook meals from every country alphabetically. Afghanistan is my first stop in my Cooking Without Borders project. For each country, the goal is to make a breakfast, snack, appetizer, main course and drink(s).
I’m making a full Afghan menu with a classic, Sheer Chai as the drink to kick it off.
This simple and fragrant drink balances strong black tea with creamy milk and is lightly sweetened to taste. The addition of cardamom offers variance from traditional teas.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Simple ingredients, big flavor – Just black tea, milk, sugar, and cardamom create a deeply flavourful and aromatic drink.
Customizable sweetness – Adjust sugar to your preference or even skip it.
Quick and easy – With only 4 ingredients (+ water), Sheer Chair is super quick, low-maintenance, and packs a big flavour punch.
Ingredients
Black Tea. A strong loose-leaf black tea is traditional, but tea bags work. If you use loose leaf tea, make sure you have a strainer thin enough to strain it afterwards.
Green Cardamom Pods. Whole green pods are crushed for a fragrant, floral spice. If unavailable, use ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom.
Whole Milk. Using whole milk creates a rich creaminess and balances the strong tea. Substitute with 2% milk for a lighter tea or try oat milk for dairy-free
Sugar. Traditionally, jaggery is used. You can use any sweetener you have (or prefer).
How to Make This Recipe
Quick notes - important info goes here.
1. Bring water to a boil in a small pot.
2. Add tea and steep 5 minutes.
3. Add cardamom pods and simmer 5–10 minutes until the water turns dark brown.
4. Stir in sugar and let it dissolve.
5. Add milk, reduce to medium-low, and steep 3 minutes.
6. Strain if using loose tea. Serve hot.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Recipe Notes
It's important to use green cardamom pods for their delicate, sweet and floral flavours. There's another kind of cardamom, black cardamom, and it has a much stronger, smoky flavour and it's best suited for savoury dishes.
Even though this recipe is super easy, you can batch cook it by double or tripling the recipe easily. In a mason jar or other airtight container, it can store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat leftover Sheer Chai, gently heat it in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat while stirring occasionally. Avoid bringing it to a boil as milk can curdle.
Sheer Chai, although not traditional, is also delicious served cold over ice.
Tea Bags. If you have loose tea but don't want to deal with straining, you can get reusable cotton tea bags. These are the ones I use below (not an affiliate link).
Frequently Asked Questions
Afghans typically use strong black tea, often loose leaf. Assam or Ceylon work well for a bold, malty flavor.
Traditionally, it's a sweetened dish but you can leave out sugar for preference. Alternatively, you can also make Sheer Chai unsweetened.
Use more milk (up to a 1:1 ratio of milk to water) or simmer a few minutes longer after adding milk.
Serving Suggestions
Sheer Chai is more than just tea — it’s a symbol of Afghan hospitality and connection. With just a few ingredients, you can bring a taste of Afghanistan into your kitchen.
Related Recipes You'll Love
I'm going to be adding all my recipes from Cooking Without Borders here. Stay tuned for other iconic Afghan recipes including Leek Bolani, Mantu Dumplings, Shor Nakhod, Kabuli Pulao and Sheer Khurma.
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📖 Recipe
Sheer Chai
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoon black tea or 2 tea bags
- 3 pods cardamom crushed
- 1 cup whole milk 3.25% milk
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil over high heat.
- Add tea (or tea bags) and let steep for about 5 minutes.
- Add crushed Cardamom pods and continue to steep for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the water turns dark brown.
- Add sugar to taste and continue to simmer until the sugar is dissolved - I used about 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar.
- Add the milk and steep for 3 more minutes on medium-low.
- If you used loose tea, strain the tea before serving.
- Serve standalone for a warming tea drink, or with pastries, bread and butter, or a sweet treat.
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