A warm cuppa anything in the morning as you watch the sunrise or maybe at bedtime when you cozy up with your favourite book sounds like a perfect pick me up. But what if that cup of happiness also gives you tons of immunity boosting benefits? We say hell yea! For us Indians, there is nothing fancy about “haldi doodh” popularly touted as turmeric latte in the west and is a legit “hot” seller in chic corner coffee shops and cool cafes. Turmeric powder mixed with warm milk and a range of other beautiful spices is a tried-and-tested homemade remedy for almost anything that you can think of right from cold and cough to body ache, belly bloats, glowing skin, better immunity and what not. Every Indian household can vouch for its miraculous healing properties. It’s like a treasure that has been passed on for generations. As I write this, I can vividly recall my childhood memories of my mother beguiling me into drinking a glass of warm turmeric milk which to me at that point in time seemed nothing less than retribution but ask me now and I’ll happily have it...3 times a day. Okay that’s a stretch maybe because it’s a warming spice but you get the point?
Back in the day it used to be with regular milk coming from a small farm near our house. But with the escalating adulteration in the dairy industry we’re now progressing towards an era of nut milks that makes our simpleton haldi doodh feel no less than an exotic hug in a mug more popularly known as "golden milk" in the west for all lactose free alternatives. 500 BCE saw the emergence of turmeric as a staple in Ayurvedic cooking. It’s in this latter period when women living in northern India were prescribed two glassfuls of turmeric paste and dried ginger powder, mixed with honey dissolved in a glass of milk. This was a cocktail for women to consume after childbirth to relieve postnatal ailments. The habit stuck, and the practice gained a toehold up north. Turmeric and its active component, curcumin, helps manage inflammation in the body. Our organically grown lakadong turmeric comes with a whooping 8.3% curcumin compared to the regular ones that usually break off at 2-3% curcumin content. I'd suggest you use organic turmeric powder preferably since turmeric is one spice in particular that's outrageously loaded with chemicals and lead added to enhance its bright yellow colour. You can read our full report on it here:
Our lakadong turmeric farmer in Meghalaya, has been practising regenerative farming for as long as she can remember. It's the best turmeric powder we'd ever seen so we can safely say the quality of her produce is just exceptional. Our turmeric powder is free of all toxic metals and is lab tested of course.
So here’s my but mostly my mother’s super quick turmeric milk recipe that’s perfect to brew anytime of the year.
Ingredients
1 cup whole milk or Coconut milk (it's my preferred non dairy alternative, but feel free to choose another milk alternative. I am not a vegan so I keep switching between the two most because of taste)
1 Tsp. Turmeric - Shop Here
2-3 black peppercorns (turmeric with black pepper helps in better absorption of the curcumin) Shop Here
1 tbsp jaggery
1 cardamom pod - Shop Here
Pinch of cinnamon
Directions
Pour one cup of milk into a saucepan and allow it to heat.
In the meanwhile pound the black pepper and cardamom in a mortar pestle.
Add all your spices to the milk and bring it to a low boil. You don’t want to boil the coconut milk too much as it tends to curdle. However if you are using regular dairy milk you can boil it for a little longer as per your preference or until your kitchen starts to smell like heaven.
Lastly, add in the jaggery and sieve your milk into a cup. Enjoy the goodness that you just made with your favourite book, outside in nature or maybe just one episode of your favourite netflix show.
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