Indian Badam Milk: A Spiced Almond Beverage

By
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country's regional cuisines.
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Updated on 03/8/22
Badam milk in a glass cup with almonds next to it

jayk7 / Getty Images

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This recipe for Indian badam makes a delicious spiced almond milk famous in Pakistan and all over the world. Historically, badam milk also was called amygdalate.

This drink is delicately flavored with cardamom, optional kewra essence (an extract distilled from the flower of the pandanus plant that is popular in Asian cooking), and nuts to make a refreshing beverage.

Sometimes called badam pal, the drink is not only tasty but, thanks to the mix of nuts, it packs a mighty nutritious punch as well. 

Cold badam milk is a great summer cooler, but if you use warm milk to make it, it's also great in the winter.

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup almonds

  • 1 cup pistachios

  • 3 cups almond milk, chilled or warm

  • 2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

  • 2/3 teaspoon cardamom powder

  • 2 tablespoons kewra essence, optional

  • 2 teaspoons rose water

  • Saffron strands, optional

  • Chopped pistachios, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Grind together the almonds, pistachios, and 1/4 cup almond milk to a smooth paste in a food processor.

  2. Add the remaining 2 3/4 cups almond milk, sugar, cardamom powder, optional kewra essence, and rose water. Blend well.

  3. Serve chilled in a tall glass.

  4. If you prefer to serve it warm, heat it gently in a saucepan and pour into a heatproof glass or mug to serve.

  5. For added color, the finished drink can be garnished with optional saffron strands and chopped pistachios.

Tips

  • If you prefer to remove the almond skins, soak the almonds in hot water for 5 minutes. Then slide the almonds between your thumb and index finger and the skin should slip off easily.
  • If you are serving badam milk to a child, be sure to skip the added sugar, use a filter to remove the coarse granules of the almond and pistachio paste, and also skip the saffron and pistachio garnish. Almond milk is suitable for children older than 1 year. 
  • To make this drink faster, you can prepare larger quantities of the nut paste, divide it into 2-cup portions, and store it in the freezer in plastic containers or freezer bags. Simply defrost the paste in the refrigerator overnight and make fresh badam milk the next day. You also might find powered badam milk concentrate in Indian food grocers or restaurants and you can skip the nut processing step entirely.

How to Store

  • This milk can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
434 Calories
34g Fat
24g Carbs
15g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 434
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 44%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 313mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 7g 27%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 144mg 11%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 588mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)