This post has a recipe of the nutritious Milk Masala Powder that was made at home during my growing up years. Made with many nuts and flavoring spices, this blend is not only healthy but good for everyone. With this simple, no-frills recipe, even you can make this homemade Masala Dudh Powder in bulk and use it whenever required.
What is Milk Masala Powder
‘Masala’ means a ‘spice blend’ or a ‘mixture of spices.’ ‘Milk powder’ as in this recipe, means a ‘ground powdered form of nuts and spices’ which is added to milk to flavor it.
This fragrant nuts and spice blend can also be added to plant based milks like almond milk or cashew milk. Personally, I don’t like the taste of plain soy milk. So, I am not suggesting it. But you can definitely try with soy milk.
You can also add a few teaspoons of the Milk Masala Powder to various Indian sweets like Phirni, Kheer, Gulab Jamun, Suji Halwa and the likes. This will only enhance the flavor and richness of these traditional Indian sweets.
Apart from adding to sweets, I usually make a beverage by adding this fragrant blend of Masala Dudh Powder to hot milk.
Just add a 2 to 3 teaspoons of this nut-spice powder in a glass of milk (dairy or vegan). Add sugar or any other sweetener you prefer. Stir and sip on.
You can skip the sugar too. Avoid adding honey. As per Ayurveda, honey becomes toxic when heated. Hence, should not be added to hot drinks. If not heating up the milk and serving chilled or at room temperature, then you can add honey.
One glass of hot milk with the Milk Masala Powder in the night also aids in getting sound sleep. The spice nutmeg in the powder calms, relaxes and helps in getting sleep.
With all the nuts and spices in it, this Masala Dudh Powder makes for an excellent milk-based beverage, for both kids and adults alike.
About My Recipe
When we were in school, mom would give me Turmeric Milk in the morning and a cold or warm masala milk (depending on the season) in the evenings or nights.
Well, milk was quite a mandatory for my family. We were never exposed to tea or coffee. Although, an occasional sip of Tea or Coffee was allowed when we would go out to dine at restaurants.
As a family, we have tried both homemade as well as store-brought Milk Masala Powder. I would always give a thumbs up to the homemade one. This recipe is again a family recipe, with a few variations of my own to add a more wholesome touch.
In addition to the nuts (almonds, cashews and pistachios), what I also have added in this Masala Dudh Powder are pumpkin seeds and dried rose petals. These are not essential and you can skip them.
The fragrant spices added are cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg, turmeric and saffron. I have also included fennel seeds which are good for digestion. But again, you can skip it.
Saffron is expensive. So, instead of saffron, you can increase the quantity of turmeric powder. I have mentioned the details in the notes section of the recipe card below.
The turmeric powder gives a nice faint yellow color and is good for the body too. If stored in the refrigerator, the shelf life of this masala powder is about 1 to 2 months. You can also store in the freezer to increase the shelf life.
How to make Milk Masala Powder
Preparation
1. Heat a pan and add the nuts and seeds:
- ½ cup almonds
- ½ cup pistachios
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
Dry roast for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat. Remove and keep aside on a plate or tray.
Use fresh nuts to make the milk powder. Avoid using nuts whose shelf life has expired or nuts that have gone rancid.
2. In the same pan, add ½ teaspoon saffron strands (kesar).
3. Stir till the color of the saffron changes to a darker shade. Remove and keep aside.
4. Grate the nutmeg (jaiphal) and keep aside. Measure and take about 3.5 teaspoons of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.
Make Milk Masala Powder
5. Once the nuts cool, add them in a mixer-grinder jar or spice grinder along with the ingredients listed below:
- 3.5 teaspoons of grated nutmeg
- ½ to 1 tablespoon dried rose petals
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
- seeds from 20 grams green cardamom
- 5 tablespoons sugar
If you have a small dry grinder jar, then you will have to grind in batches. Remove the husks of the green cardamoms and add only the seeds.
6. Grind to a fine powder. While grinding, grind in short spurts and not at a stretch, so that you do not end up making a flavored mixed nut butter from the various nuts.
7. Remove the Masala Dudh Powder and keep in an air-tight container or jar. Store in the refrigerator, as the nuts may get rancid.
The recipe yields a medium jar of Milk Masala Powder. If stored in the refrigerator, then shelf life of this powder is about 1 to 2 months. You can also freeze it.
8. To serve, dissolve 2 to 3 teaspoons of Milk Masala Powder in a glass of hot milk or chilled milk. Add sugar if required. Stir and serve.
Expert Tips
- If skipping saffron, add an overall ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder in total.
- In case you decide not to add the pumpkin and melon seeds too, then, the following spices need to be reduced in quantity – 14 to 15 green cardamoms, ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (optional), 2 to 2.5 teaspoons nutmeg (grated or powdered), ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
- Make sure to use fresh nuts and the edible seeds that are in their shelf life and have not turned rancid.
- While grinding the ingredients, ensure removing the cardamom husks and use only the seeds.
- This milk spice blend stays good in the refrigerator for about 1 to 2 months.
- For a dairy free or vegan version, use almond milk or soy milk. If using soy milk, then use organic and Non-GMO soy milk.
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Milk Masala Powder | Masala Dudh Powder
Ingredients
- ½ cup almonds – unsalted
- ½ cup cashews – unsalted
- ½ cup pistachios – shells removed and unsalted
- 20 green cardamoms – only seeds and the husks removed
- 3.5 teaspoons nutmeg powder (jaiphal powder) or half of a nutmeg – grated or powdered
- ½ to 1 tablespoon dry rose petals – optional
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper – if you prefer you can increase the amount to ½ teaspoon
- ½ teaspoon saffron strands – check notes if you plan to skip saffron
- 5 tablespoons raw sugar or regular white granulated sugar. you can also add as required
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds – optional
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds or melon seeds (magaz) – check notes if not adding pumpkin seeds – optional
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder for additional yellow color. check notes if you want to skip saffron and just add turmeric powder, optional
Instructions
- Heat a heavy frying pan or skillet and add these ingredients – almonds, pistachios, cashews, pumpkin seeds/melon seeds.
- Dry roast for 3 to 4 minutes on a low heat stirring often until lightly toasted.
- Remove and keep aside in a plate or tray. Use fresh nuts and not the ones whose shelf life has expired.
- In the same pan, add the saffron strands.
- Keeping heat to a low, stir and roast for more than half a minute, till the color of the saffron changes to a darker shade. Remove and keep aside.
- Grate the nutmeg and keep aside.
- Once the nuts cool down, then add everything in a dry grinder jar, including rose petals, fennel, black pepper, turmeric powder, cardamom seeds and sugar.
- If you have a small dry grinder jar, then you will have to grind in batches. Grind to a fine powder. Grind in short spurts and not at a stretch.
- Remove the Milk Masala Powder and keep in an airtight container or jar. Store in the fridge or freezer, as the nuts may get rancid.
- The recipe yields a medium jar of milk powder.
- To serve, dissolve 2 to 3 teaspoons of the Milk Masala Powder in a glass of hot milk or chilled milk. Add sugar as required. Stir and serve the flavored milk.
Notes
- If you want to skip saffron and add turmeric powder, then just add an overall amount of ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder.
- You can also skip adding turmeric powder, if you prefer.
- If not adding pumpkin/melon seeds, then reduce the quantity of following spices to:
Green cardamoms – 14 to 15
Black pepper – â…› to ¼ teaspoon
Fennel seeds – ½ teaspoon, optional
Grated or powdered nutmeg – 2 to 2.5 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – â…› to ¼ teaspoon, optional - If stored in fridge, then shelf life of this milk masala powder is about 1 to 2 months. You can also store it in the freezer.Â
- For a dairy free version, use almond milk or soy milk. If using soy milk, then use organic and Non GMO soy milk.Â
- Note that the approximate nutrition info is for the entire lot of the blend made with this recipe.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Milk Masala Powder recipe from the archives first published in August 2014 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
I made the Masala for Milk. Turned out pretty good, reduced a bit of nutmeg and pepper. I should have ground it a little finer that happens when we grind the badam fine. Loved it, as I don’t add much sugar to the milk.
Thanks for sharing the feedback. Thanks for the rating too.
Hi.. Can i add raisins and chuara? if yes, then what quantity ?
You can add raisins and chuara (dry dates) both. Add about ¼ cup of raisins (without seeds) and 4 to 5 chuara.