Badam Milk Recipe (Creamy Indian Almond Drink)
Sweet, creamy, and deliciously spiced with cardamom and saffron, Badam Milk (also known as Badam Doodh) is a comforting Indian beverage. Made with almonds, milk, sugar and spices, this drink is equally delicious served warm in the winter or cold in the summer. Thus, this tasty drink is delightful all year round.
About Badam Milk
Badam Doodh (or Badam Milk) is a sweet creamy drink from the Awadhi cuisine. This delicious drink is flavored with ground almonds, cardamom powder, and saffron, and can be enjoyed either hot or cold.
According to Ayurveda, raw, unpeeled almonds are warming (garam). When you soak them in cool or room temperature water they become cooling (thanda).
So, if you plan to make badam milk to help cool your body, then soak the almonds overnight, or for 7 to 8 hours.
Soaking almonds also make them easier to digest and increases their nutritive value. Almonds are a good thing to include in your diet as they are rich in vitamin E, protein, and other essential minerals. They are also good for the brain and have many other health benefits.
In this badam milk recipe I have used a shortcut method of soaking almonds for 30 minutes in hot water. This method is good if you want the warming nature of the almonds and not cooling.
Since it has been raining and chilly here as of late, I have used this method. During summers, I soak almonds overnight.
The ancient Indian wisdom says that in the cold season, have warming food and in hot summers, have cooling food. So, if you want a cooling almond drink for summer then soak the almonds overnight or for 7 to 8 hours.
For the badam milk to have warming properties during the winters, either soak the almonds for less time or soak them in hot water for 30 minutes.
Saffron is also a warming element, which can be omitted if you plan to have badam milk for cooling the body. This badam milk recipe can be easily halved or doubled, depending on how many people you are trying to serve.
How To Make Badam Milk
Making this tasty almond-infused milk is quite simple. Here’s how it’s done:
Soak, Blanch, Peel Almonds
1. Rinse ¼ cup almonds (about 35 almonds) with fresh water and then add them to a bowl.
2. Add ⅓ cup hot boiling water. Cover and keep aside for 30 to 40 minutes.
Note: If you are making this as a cooling drink for warm weather, soak the almonds in hot water overnight.
3. Drain all the water.
4. Peel the almonds. You just need to press the skin and it comes out easily.
Blend Almonds
5. Add the peeled almonds in a sturdy blender or a grinder.
6. Next add 4 tablespoons sugar (or to taste), the seeds from 4 green cardamom pods, and 1 pinch of saffron. (Saffron is optional and can be skipped.)
7. Add ¼ to ⅓ cup milk. Milk can either be cold or at room temperature.
8. Grind to a fine and smooth consistency. The almonds should be ground very well to a fine or superfine consistency.
If there are coarse particles or chunks, then it can be irritating to the throat.
Make Badam Milk
9. Pour the ground almond mixture in a saucepan.
10. Now add the remaining ½ cup milk in the blender or grinder jar. Shake and swirl the grinder jar so that almond paste attached to the sides and bottom of the jar gets mixed with the milk and nothing gets wasted.
11. Add this milk in the saucepan.
12. Lastly add the remaining 1.5 cups milk in the saucepan. Mix well.
13. Keep the pan on a low heat and begin to heat the badam milk.
14. Stir at intervals so that the milk does not scorch from the bottom.
15. You just need to heat the milk; there is no need for a vigorous boil. A light boil is also fine. Switch off the heat when the milk becomes hot.
16. Serve Badam Milk hot or warm. It can be chilled also and then served. If you want, you can add a touch of rose water to the milk.
Alternatively, you can even garnish Badam Milk with rose petals. Sliced blanched almonds can also be used as a garnish as well as a few strands of saffron.
Expert Tips
- Soak the almonds according to whether you want a thanda (cooling) or garam (warming) beverage. For cooling, soak 7 to 8 hours. For warming, soak for just 30 to 40 minutes in hot water.
- Always soak the almonds. Soaking makes it easier for the nutrients to be easily absorbed in the body. Moreover soaking also soften the peels and makes them easier to remove.
- Do peel the almonds. Blending almonds with their skins will give a grainy texture to the ground almond mixture and does not make for a smooth, fine and creamy consistency.
- You can opt to sweeten the milk with jaggery or your preferred sweetener instead of sugar.
- Remember to blend or grind the almonds to a fine consistency. Any coarse particles or chunks are irritants for your throat.
- Make vegan badam milk by swapping in your favorite plant-based milk.
FAQs
Is there a way to make badam paste or badam powder ahead of time?
If you make badam paste, it will stay good only for about 4 to 5 days. I suggest you make badam powder in bulk and freeze it. It will stay good for at least a month.
To do so, blanch almonds in water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. Drain the water and peel the almonds. Let them dry a bit by spreading them on a plate or tray for 10 to 15 minutes.
Powder the almonds to a fine texture in a blender or grinder, but be careful not to overdo it on the grinding as then oil will release from them. You can also use the pulse option and grind in parts. You can add some cardamom seeds and saffron at this stage if you like.
Remove the powder and store in an air tight box. Refrigerate or freeze. The badam powder will keep for a long time in the freezer. When a craving hits, just heat it with milk & sugar and serve.
Why aren’t the almond skins coming off after soaking all night?
You need to make sure to soak the badam in hot water in order to blanch them or in room temperature water for 8 hours. Whether you only leave them for 30 minutes or overnight, the water softens the skin and it peel off easily.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
- 35 almonds or ¼ cup almonds
- ⅓ cup hot water for soaking almonds
- 2.25 cups milk
- 4 tablespoons sugar or add as required
- 4 green cardamoms
- 1 light pinch saffron strands – optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse and then soak almonds in ⅓ cup hot boiling water. Cover and keep aside for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Later drain all the water and peel the almonds.
- You just need to press the skin and it comes out easily.
- Add the peeled almonds in a sturdy blender or grinder jar.
Blending almonds
- Then add 4 tablespoons sugar or add as required, seeds from 4 green cardamoms and 1 pinch saffron. Saffron is optional and can be skipped.
- Add ¼ to ⅓ cup milk. Milk can be cold or at room temperature.
- Blend or grind to a fine or superfine consistency. The almonds should be ground very well to a smooth and fine consistency. If there are coarse particles or chunks, then it can be irritating to the throat.
- Pour the ground almond mixture in a saucepan.
- Add the remaining ½ cup milk in the blender or grinder jar. Shake and swirl the grinder jar so that almond paste attached to the sides and bottom of the jar gets mixed with the milk and nothing gets wasted.
- Add this milk to the saucepan.
- Lastly add remaining 1.5 cups milk into the saucepan. Mix well.
Making badam milk
- Keep the pan on a low flame and begin to heat the milk.
- Stir at intervals so that the milk does not scorch from the bottom.
- You just need to heat the milk and there is no need for a vigorous boil. A light boil is also fine. Switch off the heat when the milk becomes hot.
- Serve badam milk hot or warm. It can be chilled also and then served. If you want you can add a touch of rose water in the milk.
- Alternatively you can even garnish Badam Milk with rose petals. Sliced blanched almonds can also be used as a garnish as well as a few strands of saffron.
Notes
- Remember to always soak the almonds. You can opt to soak them for 30 minutes in hot water or consider soaking them for 8 hours in room temperature water.
- Peel the almonds to get a smooth, fine and creamy consistency in the badam milk.
- Ensure that the almonds are ground to a fine or superfine consistency. A coarsely ground mixture of the almonds will irritate the throat.
- Omit saffron if you prefer.
- Make a vegan variation by adding your preferred plant based milk.
- Easily halve or double the recipe.
Nutrition
Badam Milk recipe from the archives was first published on August 2017.
Hi.
Is it possible to store the badam paste. If yes, how?
preeti i have already replied to your comment before. please refresh the page and you can see the comments.
Hi.
Can d badam paste be made n stored for few days? If yes then how n for how many days.
preeti, paste will stay good only for about 4 to 5 days. you can make badam powder in bulk and freeze it. it will stay good for at least a month. blanch almonds in hot water overnight. when you have enough time, then peel the almonds. let them dry a bit. you can spread them on a plate for 10 to 15 minutes. then grind to a fine powder. do not over do the grinding as then oil will release from them. you can also use the pulse option and grind in parts. then remove and store in an air tight box. refrigerate or freeze. in the freezer the badam powder will stay for a long time. then just heat it with milk & sugar and serve. when grinding you can even add some cardamom seeds and saffron.
Thanks a lot for ur suggestion. I will follow the same.
Welcome Preeti
Hi dassana,
If I soak the almonds overnight and then use hot water technique to get peels off, will it work? Actually I wanted to use cooling almonds but soaked almonds have to be peeled individuality which takes more time
Or can we soak them overnight after removing peels first?
I hope I didn’t make it confusing..
ruchi, you soak almonds directly in hot water overnight and then in the morning the peels come off easily. since they are soaked overnight, thus the badam will be cooling. if badam is soaked in water which is at room temperature overnight, it does not peel of easily. but when soaked in hot water the peels come of easily. then you just need to press the peel and it slides and you can remove it easily. hope this helps.
yes this sounds easy. Thanks a lot.
Welcome Ruchi
hi.which grinder is good to grind idli batter
mafri, i am using preethi grinder and it is good.