Recipe for The Nostalgic Mumbai Masala Milk
Recipe for The Nostalgic Mumbai Masala Milk
Whenever I think of Masala Milk, I immediately think of my White uniform, 1st button off, socks rolled down, shoes full of mud, hair all messed up, after playing in the back garden and looking like a complete riot, super excited to get off that school bus and run to the Aarey milk shop near my lane and have a chilled bottle of Masala Milk Bottoms up! Yummmmmm.... And then when it's over, try hard to get all the dry fruits that are stuck at the bottom of the bottle, by literally banging the bottle into the mouth and the passersby watching and laughing at you....ohhhh the simple joys of childhood!!However, now, whenever I go to India, I always go to an Aarey milk shop and ask for Masala Milk but they say that they’ve stopped producing it now. But I shamelessly go every time to different stores just to check, you never know right???Here, in Dubai as the Summers have creeped in, I decided to try my hand at making Masala Milk at home. That taste and the crunch of the dry fruits is still fresh in my head. Thank God I got into Food which helps me recognise the taste and textures of various ingredients in a dish which often helps me get quite close to my favourite foods that are either unavailable in Dubai or are not even close to what we eat back home. So, here’s how I made the Masala Milk. The measurements of the ingredients are just for your understanding. This recipe does not require exact measurements. Just make it as per your taste
Ingredients
- 1litre Milk(4 cups approx.)
- 2 strands of Saffron(optional)
- 1.5 Tspn Green Cardamom Powder(The star ingredient)
- 6 Table spoon Sugar(If it's not sweet enough it's going to taste Blah)
- 1.5 Tspn Turmeric Powder
- ¼ Cup (approx 30 gms) Mixed Nuts – Almonds & Cashews roughly chopped(don't chop them too small)
Instructions
- In a vessel, add the Milk, Sugar, Turmeric Powder and Saffron and bring it to a Boil
- As soon as the Milk begins to boil, add the Cardamom powder and the chopped Nuts and let it boil just once. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool at room temperatureNote: Adding the cardamom powder at the end ensures the milk retains maximum flavour from the cardamom. If you add it initially and allow it to boil with the milk, it reduces the flavourAlso, adding the chopped nuts towards the end keeps the nuts crunchy. If you boil the nuts along with the milk, it might get soft and lose it’s texture
- Once the Milk is cooled, tuck it into the refrigerator and allow it to chill. This drink is best enjoyed nice and chilled.Note: In this recipe, we just have to allow the milk to boil once. We don’t need the milk to continuously boil and thicken. It should have the consistency of a drink and not a milk shake
