A lightly sweetened Indian turmeric almond drink made with raw almonds, milk, and infused with turmeric, saffron threads, and cardamom. See the note section for dairy-free substitution ideas.
Ingredients
20raw whole almonds
2cups (480 mL)low-fat or whole milk
½teaspoonground turmeric
¼teaspoonground cardamom
pinchsaffron threads
2-3teaspoonsgranulated sugaror to taste
crushed pistachiosfor garnishing
Instructions
Soak the almonds in very hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Peel off the skins of the almonds. Place the almonds in a high-powered blender and grind to a powder. Blend the ground almonds with a couple tablespoons of the milk until you get a fine paste
Put the rest of the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. When warm, add the almond paste, turmeric, cardamom, saffron, and sugar. Stir well. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, whisking continuously so no skin develops on the top. Taste and add more sugar if desired.
Serve warm or chilled, garnished with crushed pistachios.
Tips for Success:
To make this dairy-free, try a mixture of unsweetened coconut milk (stirred before using) and/or unsweetened almond milk.
Reprinted with permission from Vibrant India by Chitra Agrawal (Ten Speed Press; Spring 2017).