Turmeric Milk

Turmeric  Latte is  all the  rage  now,  just like  quinoa   and  flax  seeds  were a  few  years  back. Turmeric has  a  lot of  medicinal properties  coupled  with its  ability to brighten  everything.  In Indian culture  turmeric has a place  everywhere  from  medicine  to  religion  to  cooking. If that is not  enough, the plant is  pretty  enough to  be  blend  in  with  the  ornamental plants in the  front  yard.

But why am I talking  about  turmeric  milk or  haldi ka  doodh  today ?  Well, this  past  week one  after  other   all of  us  in the  family were  falling  sick . Not totally unexpected  as  the  schools  have  reopened  and  the germ  sharing  has  resumed in earnest.  Kids  and  cold viruses  have  a  natural affinity for  each other.   It  was  the  same in  my childhood as  well.  Someone  sneezes near me  and  the  released  cold virus  goes “Yipee, there is  Syama, I heard  she is an  awesome  host …  lets hurry!!”.

Drink Manjal Pal or  turmeric  milk , I was  told  by friends  and  family.  This was  a  popular  home  remedy to  ward of   the  evils of  the  season.  As a  child I  was  not  very fond of  milk,   not  to mention milk  with  turmeric  and  pepper!   A  few spices  and a  dash of  honey  changes  the  story,  making it a  delicious  way to  attack the upper  respiratory ailments . This  sweet  aromatic  version  is  something that  even   the  pickiest  eater  in my family  approves of.

Here is my little  guy  reaching for his  glass  of  turmeric milk.  One of our  favorite additions to this  golden  milk is  crushed pistachios.  These crushed nuts  provide a nice visual and  textual contrast.  You  don’t need  to drink a  lot of  this  every day ,  just  half a  glass per day during the  clod  and flu  season  is  all that it  takes to boost immunity.

To get  the  full benefits  of  the  milk, use  milk that is  the least  processed.  I am  especially wary of homogenized  and  hormone  filled  variants. May be  because the milk that  we  used  to  drink as  kids  came  from  cows  that  we knew:-).  This  is  hardly the  case  today,  so I try for the  next best  thing.  For  those  who can’t  stomach  diary, use  your  favorite  non diary milk.

A word of  caution –  I have  seen  recipes  that  call for  1 tbsp of  turmeric powder  per  cup of  milk. To me  it feels  like an  overkill.  Turmeric is considered very potent,  filled  with  many health  benefits , and  taking  large  amounts on a  day to day basis  may cause  unwanted side effects.  How can  this  be  when  Indians use  turmeric  everyday, you ask ?  Yes it  is true that turmeric is used  in everyday Indian  cooking, but  the  amounts  used  will be much less than  1  tbsp  per  person.

The  traditional  version  has  two  must  have  ingredients  to be  added to milk – turmeric  and  pepper.   Turmeric  contains  curcumin ,  which  is a  potent  ingredient – anti microbial,  anti fungal, anti inflammatory and  the list  goes on. Pepper is credited  with  aiding  the  absorption of  curcumin.   To this  basic  recipe  other spices  according  to  individual  taste  preferences  are  added.   I add  cardamom, cloves,  cinnamon  and  ginger, all of   which have  anti inflammatory, digestive  and  anti microbial properties  in addition to  being powerful  anti oxidants.

I have  mentioned  that  you  can  use  nut  milks or  rice  milks   to make a  vegan  version, but  that  was  not  the  case  traditionally. Warm milk  was  and  is  still the  preferred  medium  of  delivery  for  turmeric.  It is  not  just  for  the  warm  soothing  feeling,  but  the milk fat  helps  with  the absorption of the nutrients.  So use the vegan milk if  you must, but  don’t  use  the fat free  milks.

Turmeric Milk

By Syama

Turmeric is  known for its healing properties.  This  milk  is infused  with  turmeric   and   the  added  spices  aid  digestion and  add  more  flavor  to it  making it an irresistible   drink.  

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Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine India

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 C Milk
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric
• 1/4 Tsp Ginger Powder
• 1/8 Tsp Cardamom Powder
• 1/8 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Pinch Powdered Cloves
• 1 Pinch Black Pepper Powder
• Honey - To Taste
• 1 Tbsp Crushed pistachios/ Almonds Optional

Instructions

 

• Warm the milk.
• All all the powders to the milk and stir well. Cover and let rest for a few minutes. The spices seeps into the milk and it turns golden yellow.
• Pour enough honey to in a glass. Strain the milk if using whole spices. Pour the golden milk over honey and stir well. If you like, garnish with the crushed pistachios or almonds and enjoy!

Notes

• Use organic non homogenized milk for best results.
• If you have whole spices use those instead of powders. Crush the whole spices and add while warming the milk.
• Adjust the spices according to your taste except for the turmeric and pepper

Important: Nutrition Values are estimates. Actuals vary based on ingredients and serving size.

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Notes

• If you are in the habit  of  taking a  glass of  milk  before  bed  time  try this  version for a more soothing healthful sleep.
• If  using  fresh ingredients like fresh  turmeric root or  ginger,  grate   double  the  quantity into the milk before  warming.
• Make  the  spice  mix   and  store  in an  airtight container for a  few  days.
• With the  fresh ingredients  make a  spice  paste  and  store in the  fridge.