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Badam milk
Almond milk
बादाम दूध: milk simmered with ground soaked almonds, saffron and cardamom, served hot in winter or chilled in summer
In Hyderabad and Bengaluru, darshinis and Irani cafés sell badam milk from steaming steel urns, while in North Indian homes a hot glass of it is what you get after an exam or on a cold Delhi evening. It is creamy and nutty, tinted pale gold by saffron, and has fine, pleasant flecks of almond rather than being smooth like a shake. Chilled, it is sold in bottles all summer and served at weddings. Soaking and peeling the almonds is what makes it taste clean and sweet. A common mistake is grinding the almonds dry, which turns them oily and gritty; grind soaked almonds with a little milk to a fine paste. Chef's tip: simmer gently after adding the almond paste and keep stirring, because it settles and catches on the bottom of the pan within minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the milk
- 3 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 1 pinch saffron strands
- 1 ¾ oz sugar
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
To garnish
- 1 tbsp pistachios or almonds (optional)slivered
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Soak 1 ⅜ oz almonds in ¾ cup hot water for 20 minutes, then slip off the skins by pinching each one.
20 minStep 2: Grind the peeled almonds with 4 tbsp milk to a fine, slightly grainy paste.
2 minStep 3: Bring 3 ¼ cups full-fat milk to a boil in a heavy pan over medium heat, add 1 pinch saffron strands and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until it turns pale yellow.
8 minStep 4: Stir in the almond paste and 1 ¾ oz sugar, lower the heat and simmer for 5–6 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
6 minStep 5: Add ½ tsp ground green cardamom. Serve hot, or cool and chill for at least 2 hours. Top each glass with 1 tbsp pistachios or almonds.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does badam milk take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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