AI-generated image
Sardai
Almond and fennel milk drink
سردائی (sardai): a cooling Lahori summer drink of ground almonds, melon seeds, fennel and poppy seeds in milk
Old Lahoris remember the sardai-wala in the lanes of the Walled City, sitting cross-legged with a huge stone mortar and a wooden pestle, grinding soaked almonds, melon seeds, fennel, poppy seeds and black pepper into a pale paste and whisking it into chilled sweet milk. It is creamy, nutty and floral, with the gentle aniseed cool of fennel and a little warmth from pepper, and it was drunk through the hot months as protection against heat. Today it is easier to make with a blender, but the principle is the same: soak, grind fine, strain, chill. Many people forget to soak the seeds long enough, and the drink ends up gritty with a chalky aftertaste. Chef's tip: soak everything for at least 2 hours, or overnight, and strain through a muslin cloth, squeezing hard, so the sardai is silky and full of flavour.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the paste
- 1 ¾ oz almonds
- 2 tbsp melon seeds (char magaz)
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp white poppy seeds
- 5 green cardamom podsseeds only
- 1 tbsp dried rose petals (edible) (optional)
- ¾ cup water
For the drink
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 ½ oz sugar
- 1 tsp rose water
- 12 ice cubes
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 ¾ oz almonds, 2 tbsp melon seeds (char magaz), 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 1 tbsp white poppy seeds, 8 black peppercorns, 5 green cardamom pods and 1 tbsp dried rose petals (edible) in a bowl, cover with ¾ cup water and soak for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
Step 2: Bring 3 cups whole milk to the boil with 2 ½ oz sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then cool and chill.
5 minStep 3: Slip the skins off the almonds, then blend everything with its soaking water to a very fine paste, adding a splash of the chilled milk to help it move.
Step 4: Stir the paste into the cold milk and leave for 10 minutes, then strain through a muslin cloth or very fine sieve, squeezing to extract all the liquid.
Step 5: Stir in 1 tsp rose water, pour over 12 ice cubes and serve very cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sardai take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 10 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 fennel seeds?
- Aniseeds, same amount (a stronger liquorice taste).
- What can I use instead of black peppercorns?
- Ground black pepper, a little less than the amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Power packApple, pear, kiwi and celery juice
A sweet, energising juice of apples, pears and kiwi fruit with a stick of celery, all used unpeeled for extra goodness. It's naturally sweet, so it needs no sugar. Serve well chilled.
Guava delightGuava, mango and banana drink
A thick, fragrant blend of ripe guava, mango and banana, boosted with a spoonful of guava powder from the health shop. The book calls it a modern-day vitality drink, drawing on guava's long use in traditional Indian medicine. Serve it well chilled; sieve it if you don't like the little guava seeds.
PingadoHot milk with coffee
Order 'um pingado' at the balcão of any São Paulo padaria at 7 in the morning and the attendant pours hot milk into a ridged glass tumbler (the copo americano) and 'drips' in a splash of strong coffee, hence the name. It is milkier and gentler than a média (half coffee, half milk), creamy and lightly sweet, usually drunk standing up with a pão na chapa, a toasted buttered roll. At home you need strong filter coffee and milk heated until steaming. Scalding the milk is the frequent mistake, as boiled milk tastes flat and forms a skin. Chef's tip: froth the hot milk for a few seconds with a whisk or by pouring it back and forth between two jugs before adding the coffee, as padaria machines do.
BrazilianPerfect for:Summer coolers