Sulaimani Chai (Kerala Spiced Black Tea with Lemon)
سلیمانی چائے (کیرالا کی مصالحے دار کالی چائے لیموں کے ساتھ)
In Kerala's Malabar region, a heavy biryani lunch ends with a glass of *sulaimani*: light, golden black tea scented with whole spices and brightened with lemon. It's made without milk, so it's clear and refreshing, and it's believed to help digestion. The tradition came from Arab traders who visited Kerala's ports for centuries, and the name is often linked to the Arabic name Sulaiman (Solomon). It's ready in five minutes.
- ⏱ Total: 8 min
- Prep: 2 min
- Cook: 6 min
- Easy
- Serves 2
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Boil the water with the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and ginger for 2–3 minutes.
Turn off the heat, add the tea and sugar, cover and steep for 2 minutes. Don't boil the tea, or it turns dark and bitter.
Strain into glasses, squeeze in the lemon and add a mint leaf. Serve hot; it should be clear and golden.
Kitchen notes
Sulaimani should be light gold, not dark. Use only a little tea and don't over-steep.
Honey can replace sugar; add it in the glass, not the pot.
Add the lemon at the end; boiling it makes the tea bitter.
Malabar’s after-meal tea
Kozhikode (Calicut) and the Malabar coast of Kerala have traded with Arabia for more than a thousand years, and the region’s Muslim Mappila community has a rich food culture shaped by those links. Sulaimani is part of it: served after the famous Thalassery and Kozhikode biryanis, at weddings and to guests.
Light, not strong
Unlike milky chai, sulaimani is meant to be delicate. The spices boil in the water first; the tea is added off the heat and steeped briefly. The goal is a clear, golden drink you can see through. A dark, over-brewed tea is a mistake here.
Lemon at the end
The lemon gives sulaimani its fresh, slightly sour taste and lightens the colour. Add it in the glass, just before drinking.
Serving
Serve after a biryani such as Hyderabadi dum biryani, or with appam and stew. For spiced teas from elsewhere, see qehwa and Turkish lemon-ginger tea.
Questions people ask
Is sulaimani the same as Kashmiri qehwa?
They're related spiced teas without milk. Qehwa uses green tea, saffron and almonds; sulaimani uses black tea, whole spices and lemon.
Why is it served after biryani?
Tradition holds that the light, spiced, lemony tea helps digest a rich meal.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 25
- Protein
- 0 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
