Turmeric Latte | Haldi Doodh

Haldi means turmeric and doodh means milk in Hindi. Haldi doodh is nothing but turmeric milk or latte. It's also popularly called Golden milk because of its beautiful color. It's touted as "Drink of the year" many times. Indians call this drink Haldi wala doodh and everywhere else it's called Turmeric Latte. It is a warm earthy drink with spicy and citrusy undertones.

Turmeric, a superfood, is a widely used spice in Indian cuisine. We add it to almost everything - be it sweet or savory. I have a blog post where you can read about the benefits of turmeric and how to use it in everyday cooking. Turmeric Milk is one of the most common Indian beverage that's made in nearly every household for generations.

It's also mentioned in the Ayurveda and is known for its nutritional benefits. I grew up drinking this beverage. Mom relying on the age-old remedy, would give us all a glass of warm haldi milk (warm milk + turmeric + sugar) before bedtime or when we would suffer from a cold, cough, sore throat, or fever. Turmeric milk to us is like what Chocolate milk is to the West.

Besides making it plain, you can make a variation of Lush Turmeric Latte by mixing hot milk with ground turmeric, and other warming spices. Milk brings out the properties of the spices. The combination of these vibrant spices is what makes this hot turmeric drink so enjoyable to drink. This Indian haldi doodh recipe is quick and easy and is also called Masala doodh because of the spices added to it.

Hot or cold latte

Generally, latte is a coffee drink that can be served hot or warm. But Iced lattes are also very popular. The flavors are the same. A hot latte is basically an espresso made with steamed milk with a milk foam topping. Whereas, an iced latte is an espresso made with chilled milk and ice. You can add a variety of different spices in hot or cold lattes to give it different flavors.

However, technically Turmeric milk is not a latte as there is no caffeine in it. But since this can be had instead of caffeine beverages, we call it Turmeric Golden Latte. It can be served hot/warm or cold. If looking for more immunity boosting drinks, then check out this Sunshine Smoothie recipe.

Why make this

• Is caffeine-free
• Can be made vegan
• Make it in 10 minutes
• Serve it hot or cold
• Has healing and calming properties
• Great way to include turmeric in the diet

Milk - You can make haldi ka doodh with regular or dairy-free milk. If using regular milk, use full-fat or low-fat milk. Vegan milk like Almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, soy milk or coconut milk (from a carton not a can) can be used to make golden milk latte.

Turmeric - Use a good quality organic turmeric powder. I prefer making it at home but it is also easily available in all grocery stores. It's clean and used just one ingredient - turmeric roots. Turmeric keeps inflammation, toxins and pain away. It also lends a natural yellow food color to the golden latte. You can also use fresh turmeric roots.

Warming spices - ginger powder (or fresh ginger), cardamom (pods or powder), ground black peppercorns, ground or whole cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon are the basic spices that you will need to make Turmeric latte. Ginger is added to increase the potency of the concoction and help with digestion. Black pepper helps absorb the curcumin that is present in turmeric. Spices like cloves, cinnamon, and ginger are a rich source of antioxidants and contain anti-inflammatory properties.

Sweetener - Any variety of sugar can be used. You can also add maple syrup of honey (if not on vegan diet). You can also add date syrup, or jaggery when making this turmeric latte. But the color of the beverage will alter a bit.

Vanilla extract adds a sweet and fragrant note to the mix. But it can be skipped.

1. Add milk to a pot.
2. Add sugar, turmeric powder, ginger powder, ground cloves, cardamom powder, ground nutmeg, and cinnamon powder. Chef Tip - Do not add turmeric more than mentioned. The latte can taste bitter.
3. Whisk it all together till all the spices have blended well with the milk. There should be no lumps. Cook on simmer and then turn off the gas at the first boil. Chef tip - This could take 5-6 minutes on medium flame. Boiling milk makes it easier to digest. Then add the vanilla extract. Mix. Strain the milk using a fine strainer or cheesecloth if you don't want a grainy texture in the mouth when you drink.
4. Pour in serving glasses, top it with freshly crushed black pepper, and saffron strands. Use a milk frother if desired.

You can also garnish Golden milk with crushed edible rose petals or powdered mixed nuts. To create a frothy latte, use a milk frother or pour the mixture into a blender and blend until frothy. Turmeric latte can be served immediately when it's hot or warm. To make it fancy, add some whipped cream on top. It's a soothing and comforting drink. This caffeine-free golden milk latte is the perfect pick-me-up for any time of day! Sip on this golden elixir in sickness and in health! 

When to have Golden Turmeric Latte

Serve Haldi wala Doodh for breakfast or just before going to bed. It's best consumed during winters or the allergy season. Make this wholesome drink if anyone at home is suffering from cold, cough, sore throat infection, or feeling under the weather. It will provide them comfort. Make yourself this drink if you want to get a sound sleep at night. Golden Milk Latte is such a soothing beverage that it can be consumed by adults and children everyday. You can also drink it on empty stomach.

Skip or use any kind of sweetener like sugar, honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, or coconut cream (if using coconut milk). If adding honey, only add it once the milk cools down or is warm. Honey tends to disintegrate when mixed with hot milk.  Feel free to add a shot of espresso to your golden milk for an extra caffeine boost.

Adding vegan or regular creamer, or a small amount of ghee, coconut oil or butter can give a turmeric latte a creamy texture and boost the absorption of the turmeric. You can use ½ inch fresh ginger and/or ½ inch fresh turmeric roots when making this Indian Golden Milk. Strain the milk before serving.

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