Badam Doodh
بادام والا دودھ
Badam doodh is milk slowly simmered with a paste of soaked almonds, perfumed with cardamom and coloured gold with saffron. In winter it is a warming bedtime drink; in summer and during Ramzan it is chilled and served at iftar or sold by the glass at milk shops. Blending peeled, soaked almonds into a fine paste, rather than just adding chopped nuts, is what gives it a thick, creamy body and a smooth almond flavour in every sip.
- ⏱ Total: 53 min
- Prep: 35 min
- Cook: 18 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Cover the almonds with boiling water and leave for 30 minutes (or soak in cold water overnight). Squeeze each one so the skin slips off.
Put the peeled almonds in a blender with ½ cup of the milk and blend for 1–2 minutes into a very fine, smooth paste.
Pour the rest of the milk into a heavy and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Stir in the almond paste, lower the heat and simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the milk thickens slightly and turns creamy.
Add the sugar, crushed cardamom and the saffron with its soaking milk. Simmer for 3–4 minutes more, until the sugar dissolves and the milk turns pale gold.
For winter, pour it hot into cups. For summer, let it cool, then chill for at least 3 hours and stir before serving.
Sprinkle with slivered pistachios or almonds and serve.
Kitchen notes
Do not skip peeling. Almond skins make the milk gritty and slightly bitter, and turn it brownish.
Use a heavy-bottomed pan and keep stirring. The almond paste settles and catches on the bottom very easily.
Chilled badam doodh thickens in the fridge. Thin it with a little cold milk before serving if needed.
A drink for both seasons
Badam doodh is one of the few drinks that is equally at home in December and in June. On cold nights it is poured steaming into cups as a nourishing drink before sleep, and in many homes it is given to children during exams, since almonds have long been associated with a sharp mind. In the hot months it is chilled until it is thick and frosty, and it is a common sight at iftar tables in Ramzan and at the milk shops of Lahore and Karachi, where it is sold in tall glasses topped with nuts.
The key technique: soak, peel and grind
Soaking almonds softens them and loosens their skins, which slip off easily with a squeeze. Peeled almonds blend into a fine, pale paste that melts into the milk; unpeeled ones leave a gritty texture, a bitter edge and a brownish colour. Blending them with a little milk rather than water keeps the flavour rich.
The paste goes into milk that is already boiling and is then simmered gently. Ten minutes or so is enough for the almond flavour to spread through and for the milk to reduce slightly and become creamy. Because ground almonds sink, keep stirring and scraping the bottom of the . Sugar goes in near the end, along with the cardamom and saffron, so their aroma stays fresh and does not cook away.
Variations
- Richer: add 2 tablespoons of milk powder with the sugar for a thicker, almost rabri-like drink.
- Kesar badam: double the saffron for a deeper gold colour and stronger fragrance.
- Mixed nuts: replace a quarter of the almonds with cashews or pistachios.
- Rose: add a few drops of rose water after the milk cools, a popular summer touch.
Storing and serving
Badam doodh keeps for up to two days in the fridge. Serve it hot in winter with a few slivered nuts on top, or chilled in summer in tall glasses, with ice cubes if you like. Leftover almond pulp from straining can be stirred into kheer or halwa.
Questions people ask
Can I use almond flour or ready ground almonds?
Yes, use about ½ cup of blanched almond flour and whisk it into the milk well. The flavour is a little milder than freshly soaked and blended almonds.
Should I strain it?
If the almonds were blended very finely, there is no need; the fine almond bits add body. For a completely smooth drink, pour it through a fine sieve before chilling.
How long does it keep?
Up to 2 days in a covered jug in the fridge. Stir well before serving, as the almonds settle, and reheat gently if you want it hot.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 315
- Protein
- 12 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
