Milk is considered as wholesome food. Drinking milk has been associated with strong and healthy bones. It’s impressive how a cup of milk can give calcium, protein, fat, Vit B12, Bit B2, potassium, phosphorus, and selenium. The beauty of milk is it can be enhanced by throwing in some fruits or cereals. We all have relished smoothies, tea, coffee, and more. What if I help you remember our old nani-ka-nuska, the homemade spice mixes that my Maa, her mother, and ancestors used for ages. Spiced milk!
Be it cold, cough, immunity building, sleepless nights, digestion trouble, my Maa and Grandma relied on milk to fix it.
Here are a few more spices that can be used with milk and enhance benefits.
Turmeric milk
Turmeric milk or Golden milk or the new trendy name Golden Latte is an ancient ayurvedic beverage. It helps to booth immunity, soothe sore throat, remedy for cold and cough. It got that anti-microbial property you see.
Preparation
In a pan bring a cup of milk to boil. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and ¼ teaspoon of freshly crushed black pepper. Give a stir for a minute or two. Serve warm.
Penguin has been drinking this milk 5 days a week since he turned 1 year old.
Turmeric and black pepper go together here as later helps the body to absorb turmeric.
Saffron milk
Saffron milk is another wonder potion. It fights against cold, insomnia, relieves menstrual cramps, etc.
Preparation
Warm-up milk in a pan and allow 2-3 strands of saffron strings sit there for 5 -10 minutes. It’s ready to consume.
You can add sweeteners like honey and dry fruits for a flavorsome drink.
Dry ginger with milk
Dry ginger or sonth in Hindi, sounti in Odia is a regular spice in Indian kitchen. It has anti-inflammatory properties that helps to improve digestion. It is an exceptional natural medicine used for treating common cold. It has anti-bacterial properties too that help prevent any infections in the body.
It can be prepared at home from dried ginger buds. Just wash off dirt, let is sundry and grind away. It has a shelf life of 10 -12 months. Also, it is readily available in supermarkets.
Preparation
Boil milk in a pan and mix ½ or less teaspoon of dry ginger powder. Serve it warm.
You can honey or any other sweetener (optional).
This is our winter special drink.
Cinnamon milk
Another winter tonic is cinnamon milk. It got huge benefits ranging from strong bones, fights cold, weight loss, insomnia, improves blood circulation, improves memory and much more.
Preparation
Mix ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon powder in a cup of warm milk. If you like add honey. Enjoy your drink.
Clove milk
Humble looking spice can treat stomach troubles, sore muscles, oral problems, lungs infection, sleep disorder, headache and more.
Preparation
For headache Prepare clove milk by adding one crushed clove in warm milk. Add a pinch of common salt in it. Drink it warm.
Cardamom milk
Cardamom is known as “Queen of spices”. Cardamom milk gives a tasty flavour and helps in digestion and sleep.
Preparation
Crush 1- 2 cardamom pods in mortar and pestle. Bring a cup of milk to boil and add crushed cardamoms. Strain it and drink it warm.
Nutmeg milk
Nutmeg calms down our overworking brain, reduces stress, relaxes muscles and gives a good night’s sleep.
Preparation
Warm-up a cup of milk and add a pinch of nutmeg to it.
Funnel seeds / saunf with other spices in milk
Funnel seeds are our Indian traditional mouth freshener. At restaurants, they often accompany bills and at times with rock sugar (Mishri). Moms, remember those lactation days when we all munched it to improve milk supply. There is saunf infused tea, saunf sharbat for summers. It can be added to milk too and enjoyed by young and old. It helps in digestion for young and adults.
Preparation
Dry roast handful funnel seeds in a pan. Crush it using a mode of your convenience. I prefer it crushed in roti making disc and rolling pin.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed powder in warm milk. I like adding ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon to it. You can add honey to sweeten.
Garlic milk
According to Ayurveda, one should not consume garlic after milk or the other way, the exception being Garlic milk. The latest fitness fad in the West. Though it sounds What! Yuck! Its benefits are viral over the internet. Once an ayurvedic enthusiastic friend of mine got it for my asthma and ignorant me ditched the drink and days later lost a friend. Moving on, do you know a clove of fresh garlic has vitamin C over twice that in tomatoes? Garlic milk is easy to make at home. Always remember to consume in moderation.
Preparation
Peel and crush 7 – 8 raw garlic cloves. In a saucepan, add milk and garlic cloves. Bring it to a boil. When the milk starts boiling, add pepper and turmeric powder. After the mixture is cooled down, strain the milk and add honey in it. Serve this milk when it is warm.
How do you take your milk? Remember to spice up your milk when you take it next time.
Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom from Pexels
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i so need this now while I am sitting here with a cold and soar throat. I like the idea of nutmeg and milk already can smell the aroma!
I really hope you feel better after drinking that. Did it worked for you?
I have atleast heard about everything else, but garlic milk!! That’s really a new information and I should definitely try it out soon.
Do try it out and share how was it. Thanks for dropping in.
Wow that’s awesome, I have never heard many of it… would like to try some of it forsure
Thanks for dropping by.
Haldi and milk are a big favourite at our home too.Spices do lend a special boost to health when added to milk.
Coming from a doctor yay!! Thanks for reading 🙂
these are some wonderful ways to incorporate spices into milk. i dont like adding market bought powders and hence this is a great alternative
High five on that.
I never heard about garlic milk..it is really interesting.. Even i wasn’t much aware of spiced milk.. Thanks for sharing this info..
Hope you try out some. 🙂
I knew a few spices that were added to milk, but garlic milk and cloves was a revelation to me.
Thanks for reading Neha. Hope you try one sometime.
I am not a fan of milk but love the dry ginger flavor in it. I enjoy cardamom or nutmeg as well at times in a warm cup of milk. My husband, on the other hand, loved milk, I will try to use a few recipes from here.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope your husband like them. 🙂
Garlic Milk!! Seriously. I never heard of one.
During navratri fasts, we often have dryfruits and spiced milk, its very healthy and boosts immunity.
Thanks for dropping by 🙂
These are some really intresting and helpful spice milk recipes. There are few I havnt heard of and few I have heard but never tried. I am gonna try them all now
Never kmew about garlic milk…Thanks for this
Thanks for reading 🙂