Ramadan Kareem everyone!
I was never the child who winced at the sight of the milk. Nor the one who stealthily poured it down the sink when mom was not looking. I don’t start the day to pretty lattes or a steaming mug of tea. It is a habit lost on me. I start my day with tepid milk most likely with muesli. When we eat out for breakfast, there’s always a little part of me missing my glass of milk. Coming home from school, there’s usually a tall glass of milkshake (usually banana) waiting on the kitchen table. In the cooler months it was a mug of warm Cadbury hot chocolate.
In India, milk is the start of so many desserts. There is khoya which is milk simmered for several hours. The water content evaporates leaving behind coagulated mass. Shaped into spheres and deep-fried, the syrup engorged Gulab Jamun’s the first entry under desserts in an Indian restaurant. Curdle milk with freshly squeezed lemon and half an our later draining the solution, you can start on another syrup engorged favourite, pearly white Rasgulla. The dessert is currently going through a custody battle between the state of Odisha, claiming invention rights, and West Bengal, whom the world credits for formulating. And I don’t know who to credit for creating Rasmalai. Personally I prefer the latter. The dumplings itself are flattened lightly, poached in sugar syrup and then put to rest in a milky syrup laced with cardamom.
Then there’s Kaju Kati. You could call it fudge, except it is not milk and butter, it is ground cashew nuts and (hopefully) pure ghee heated in sugar syrup. It becomes pasty enough to spread in a dish and is adorned with edible silver foil. These diamond cut bites are dangerous for my self restraint especially when they can be found ominously waiting on the dining table. They are tiny and I find myself making an argument in my head how one or maybe even two is a treat. It is primarily nutrient packed nuts and ghee and sure, there’s sugar, but it is still healthier than a fat slice of chocolate cake, two slabs of salted caramel brownies OR four chocolate chunk cookies straight out of the oven.
The combination of milk and ground Almonds is a beverage I can never refuse. Almost 12 years ago my family along with my cousins went on a road trip to Munnar in Kerala. Over the days when we would be walking on the streets, I would be on the lookout for a Milma cart around the corner. Apart from tea and coffee, they served a drink named rather unimpressively hot milk. It was poured in a literally paper thin cup and I would hold it with the stole I was wearing saving my fingertips from scalding. Pale yellow and overly sweet, it had a faint taste of crushed cardamom. The high altitude temperature would quickly cool the boiling milk and I would sip on it very slowly thoroughly enjoying myself. I doubt there was almonds in this milk but, to me, it tasted very similar to Badam Milk.
Let me tell you something odd about the way I drink milk. Unless it is Nutella hot chocolate, I don’t drink milk from a glass. I drink it with a spoon. What I mean is there is always a bit of Muesli or oats sinking at the bottom. Off late I add the crusts (you’ve got to try it) of Ali’s morning sandwich into my morning muesli. When I fast, more than food, I am looking forward to something cool to drink. That’s how I would drink my Badam Milk. Straight out of the refrigerator, with a tall dessert spoon. The texture is quite thick and it feels like I am having Payasam. I flavour it with freshly ground cardamom and generous pinches of saffron. For a little more bite, I chop a handful of pistachios, cashew nuts and almonds roughly and add it to the milk right before I sit down to drink it. And oddly (for myself) I no longer add sugar to the milk. The combination of ground almonds and the assorted chopped nut leaves behind a sweetness which I leave undisturbed.
I was making myself a glass for the first day of Iftar when I decided to add a little more almonds than the recipe normally calls for. Exactly a fourth of a cup more. When the milk started reducing after I had added the ground almond paste, the consistency naturally changed from a pouring one. As I tipped it over with my spatula, a smoothie bowl began to form in my mind. I tipped it all back, and placed enough thinly sliced apples to cover the base. THEN, I poured it all back and added a few dried figs, and caused rose petals and more sliced nuts. It is what I am going to be having for Iftar for the next few days. It is light enough not to pique an empty stomach and fills you up slowly without the food bogging me down. I’m planning on making a batch that will last me a couple of days and make bowls for Iftar everyday depending on what I feel like having. It saves me a lot of time with regards to what I want to eat to break the fast and l can go about making the rest of Ali’s meals and a few fried tidbits for the mister.
If you have picky milk refusers in your family, give this recipe a try. Provided that it isn’t topped off with a lot of sugar, it is a healthy and nutrient-rich beverage that will help you tick off their daily glass quote.
Badam Milk
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
- 500 ml full-fat Milk
- ½ cup almonds, blanched and peeled
- ¼ cup full-fat milk
- 3 green cardamom pods, crushed finely
- A generous pinch of saffron
- 2 tbsp warm full-fat milk
- Chopped nuts – ¼ cup
- Sugar – to taste
METHOD
- Soak the saffron in warm milk and set aside.
- Grind the almonds and ¼ cup of milk into a smooth and fine paste.
- In a wide bottomed saucepan, pour the milk and bring to a boil. Keep stirring in intervals or the milk will burn at the bottom of the pan.
- Once the milk starts bubbling on the side, add the ground almond paste and stir really well.
- Lower the flame and cook the mixture for about 10 minutes.
- Once the mixture starts bubbling, watch it closely and keep stirring to prevent the milk burning.
- The milk would have reduced at this stage. Add sugar, saffron along with the milk and cardamom powder.
- Stir well and then take the pan off the heat. If you want to chill before serving, allow the badam milk to come to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator.
- Top off with chopped nuts right before serving.
Smoothie Bowl
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup Almonds, blanched and peeled.
- 500 ml full-fat Milk
- ½ cup almonds, blanched and peeled
- 3 green cardamom pods, crushed finely
- A generous pinch of saffron
- 2 tbsp warm full-fat milk
- Chopped nuts – ¼ cup
- Fruits – as desired
- Sugar – to taste
METHOD
- Prepare the Badam milk in the same method as stated above.
- Place chopped fruits and nuts in a bowl.
- Pour the almond milk into the bowl and let it cool.
- If desired, you could chill the bowl in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Have a good food day.