Today I don’t want to talk just about Badam Doodh. I want to discuss with you about the goodness of real milk. There is a real Milk for Every Moment! We grew up drinking dairy milk twice a day and thankfully we could pass the tradition on to our kid. Our morning breakfast is often simple, with granola, oats or cereal. Irrespective of what we choose we like to enjoy it with little warm milk. We can enjoy milk in several ways. Indian milk tea, creamy pudding, Indian desserts, fresh cheese, pasta sauce and occasionally we indulge on couple glasses of Badam Doodh!
What is Badam Doodh or Badam Milk
Badam Doodh is a famous milk drink in India. Dairy Milk is blended with almond and then simmered with saffron and cardamom. The flavor is intense and the texture is creamy rich. This drink is often served during weddings and one can drink it either warm or cold. I personally do like badam milk little warm. But most people prefer it chill. So make a bulk and store in the refrigerator.
Ingredients for Badam Milk:
Dairy Milk – We use whole milk to prepare this drink. Milk is simmered down for a while before you add the nuts and spices.Almond – Whole almonds are soaked, peeled and then ground with a little water to make almond paste.Cardamom – Cardamom powder is optional but it gives a lovely earthy aroma to Badam Doodh.Saffron – Another optional ingredient ,but it does add that gorgeous hue along with the floral flavor.
How to prepare Badam Doodh:
You start by soaking almonds in warm water. Then peal the skin off and blend it with little water to make almond paste.Then simmer whole milk in a heavy bottom pan for about 10 minutes before adding the almond paste, cardamom powder and a pinch of saffron. Add sugar or you choice of sweetener. Continue stirring and simmering for another 5 minutes.
You can enjoy it warm or let it refrigerate and serve it cold. As the milk cools down, it forms a thick milk skin, which some really loves to add on top as garnish. We call it Malai and I absolutely love it. If you are not a fan of milk skin, then place a clear wrap straight on the milk as it cools down. This will avoid the formation of the milk skin. Dairy milk is naturally nutrient-rich. It has nutrients including Vitamin A for a healthy immune system and Potassium to help regulate the balance of fluids. We always buy two big gallons of whole milk and a carton of chocolate milk because Avyan’s favorite evening snack is milk and cookies. At just about a quarter per serving, milk delivers more nutritional value per penny than just about any other beverage.
