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Masala doodh
મસાલા દૂધ: saffron milk with a ground masala of almonds, pistachios, cardamom and nutmeg, Manek Chowk style
Late evening at Ahmedabad's Manek Chowk, milk sellers pour masala doodh from a height between two brass pots to cool and froth it, and on Sharad Purnima families set a pot of it under the full moon before drinking it chilled. It is richer and more fragrant than plain badam milk: a home-ground masala of almonds, pistachios, cardamom, nutmeg and a little black pepper is stirred into milk reduced with saffron and sugar. The common mistake is boiling it hard after the nut masala goes in, which makes it catch and taste scorched. Chef's tip: grind a jar of the masala in one go and keep it in the fridge; two teaspoons turn any glass of milk into a treat.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the masala
- ⅔ oz almonds
- ½ oz pistachios
- 6 green cardamom podsseeds only
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
For the milk
- 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 2 ½ oz sugar
- ¼ tsp saffron threads
- 1 tbsp charoli or chopped pistachios (optional)to garnish
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Grind ⅔ oz almonds, ½ oz pistachios, 6 green cardamom pods, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg and 3 black peppercorns to a coarse powder in a spice grinder, pulsing so it does not turn oily.
2 minStep 2: Bring 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk to the boil in a heavy pan, then simmer on medium-low for 8 minutes, stirring and scraping the sides, until reduced by about a fifth.
10 minStep 3: Stir in 2 ½ oz sugar, ¼ tsp saffron threads and the nut masala and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes without letting it boil hard.
3 minStep 4: Pour from one jug to another from a height 5–6 times to froth. Serve hot, or cool and chill for at least 2 hours to serve cold, with 1 tbsp charoli or chopped pistachios on top.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does masala doodh take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 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 green cardamom pods?
- A pinch of ground cardamom per 2 pods.
- What can I use instead of black peppercorns?
- Ground black pepper, a little less than the amount.
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