One thing I miss during this pandemic is sipping a coffee or tea in a café. Because who doesn’t love a hot cinnamon or match latter without having to buy all the ingredients and do the washing-up? But recently, on lazy Sundays and dark evenings, I’ve started to bring the comforting café recipes into my home. I concluded it’s not that difficult! A recipe that particularly intrigued me was that for turmeric milk. From my travels, I knew turmeric as a staple of the Indian cuisine. I’d learnt that it is a colouring agent rather than a source of flavour. Seeing it in specialty beverages, mysteriously named “golden milk” or “golden latte” was new to me. Keep on reading if you want to find out the origin and health benefits of Indian turmeric milk! I’m also including comforting winter recipes for tasty, modern adaptations.
The origin and adaptations of “golden” turmeric milk
Comforting drink
The traditional Indian recipe for turmeric milk, or haldi doodh in Hindu, is super simple. Stir a small spoonful of turmeric into milk, bring it to boil and add sugar or honey to your liking. Done. Some recipes add other spices such as pepper or cinnamon, but this is down to individual taste and habit. The brew is used as a kitchen remedy to relief coughs, calm down fever and fix many other ailments. It’s also a staple in curries, alongside a mixture of other spices.
A part of the ginger family, it’s the root of the turmeric that’s used in drinks and dishes – grated or soaked. Many Indian states grow turmeric and India is also the biggest exporter of the yellow spice. This explains why the use of turmeric is so deeply ingrained in the Indian society.
Ayurvedic medicine
Indeed, the use of turmeric in Indian culture is much wider and much more important than a comforting drink or tasty meal. Turmeric has used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. It’s considered a powerful substance, capable of balancing the energies in the human body.
Ceremonial use
Turmeric has got a ceremonial use too. The substance is omnipresent at weddings, childbirth and other auspicious occasions. If you’ve been lucky enough to attend a Hindu wedding, you’ll surely recall the haldi ceremony, the first part of the wedding celebrations. Wedding guests, dressed in shades of yellow, apply extensive amounts of turmeric paste to the bride and groom’s faces. This will bring them luck and prosperity. It will also make them look beautiful, in honour of Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati who used turmeric for beautification.
Western adaptations
These traditions are a world away of the Western adaptations. Turmeric has only really become popular in Europe in the last few years. First it emerged in hipster joined, then it was promoted as a superfood. Even if it’s not a remedy to all ailments, there is some truth in the medicinal benefits of turmeric.
You find a lot of variety these days in the café-style golden lattes, but a few elements are constant and in line with the tradition. Drinks are based on milk as the main ingredient. Sometimes tea or coffee are added, but milk is the best vehicle to dissolve the turmeric and to allow the body to absorb it. This is thanks to the level of fat. There’s usually a pinch of pepper too, also helping absorption.
The health benefits of turmeric
Kitchen remedies and Ayurvedic treatments aside, turmeric does have some real health benefits that golden milk can help you to access.
Boost your immune system with turmeric and strengthen the line of defense against viruses and bacteria. It’s antioxidant powers help keep your body in balance and ready to fight infections;
Benefit from anti-inflammatory powers. Researchers found that turmeric slows down inflammation and consequently relief pain;
Improve your skin complexion with a pinch of turmeric. Indeed, just like Lord Shiva and Parvati, people use turmeric for beautification. Apart from dissolving turmeric in milk, it can be used in face packs and other beauty treatments;
Relax your body for sleep. Hot milk with honey is a global household remedy to help children go to sleep, but it works miracles for adults too. Next time try adding a pinch of turmeric to help you relax even more.
Remember that the body does not absorb raw turmeric easily. The best way to get the health benefits of turmeric is to consume it dissolved in milk, with some added pepper or other spices. Hence the logic of the original Indian turmeric milk recipe!
Recipe for comforting Indian turmeric milk
You’ll need to following ingredients to prepare a comforting mug of “golden” Indian turmeric milk that is café-worthy:
- 1/2 cup cow’s milk or any plant-based milk. I prefer to use cashew milk because of the light and creamy flavour;
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk. The fat will help turmeric dissolution and absorption;
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder;
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder;
- A pinch of black pepper;
- Sweetener to taste such as honey, cane sugar or syrup.
These are the steps to follow:
- Put all ingredients in a saucepan and mix them together;
- Bring to boil while continuing to stir;
- Remove saucepan from the heat and whisk the mixture to make it extra creamy;
- Pour into a mug;
- Sit back and enjoy!
Customise the recipe with these tasty variations:
- Add a shot of espresso for an extra kick
- Add a spoonful of cocoa and a chunk of dark chocolate to turn it into golden hot chocolate
- Replace the date by any sweetener of your choice such as honey or cane sugar
- Drop the canned coconut milk and double the amount of regular milk for a lighter beverage
Cheers and let me know in the comments which variation you prefer for your Indian turmeric milk!
