Turmeric Milk

Golden Milk or Turmeric Milk is a mix of fresh turmeric, milk and spices. 

Warming, delicious and FULL of good for you ingredients. This milk is amazing year round but super comforting when you have a cold or flu!

Turmeric has always been a super ingredient in the kitchen. Its anti-inflammatory and healing properties have been popular for generations. 

Indians have been a consumer of tons of turmeric each year and now the rest of the world has joined in too.

A simple herb available as a finely ground powder, turmeric is used in Indian cooking each day. We flavor our dals and curries with turmeric powder. Plus, we pickle it and enjoy it with our meals.

We use turmeric as a natural plant based yellow die in simple tasks like tie and dye, making colors for kids and so on.

It is GREAT that this spice is now popular in so many ways. So good to see it on the aisles of large stores, in bottles as turmeric latte and in desserts like panna cotta. 

It is truly amazing to see the Indian kitchen essential getting so much importance.

What is Turmeric Milk?

In reality, turmeric milk is actually just turmeric and milk; mixed together and boiled. 

In Gujarati we call it haldar doodh, in hindi it is haldi doodh and the more popular name now is golden milk.

It can be made fancy with spices, sweeteners, other superfoods and so on. But in reality, the main ingredients remain turmeric and milk.

Known for its healing properties, turmeric has been on the centerstage ever since the pandemic broke out. LOTS of people turned to natural ways of building immunity and turmeric got a lot of fame.

The easiest way to consume turmeric is to add it to everyday recipes. But if you would like to include fresh turmeric in more ways, this milk is PERFECT. 

With close to 2 teaspoon of turmeric per cup of milk, it is way more than any recipe can take. Add in a few spices and the milk becomes even more apt for the flu season and beyond.

Video Recipe

This Turmeric Milk Recipe

• It is super easy to make from scratch and comes together in under 10 minutes. That is the beauty of the recipe.
• This turmeric milk is great for flu season and to build immunity in kids and adults alike.
• It has been a family recipe for generations! We have all loved it and enjoy it to this day.
• Is perfect to replace store bought turmeric latte with a cleaner version.

Made from scratch, this milk is consumed by SO many people in winters and throughout the year.

With the current situation around, it is a great way to build immunity. It is a way to add turmeric to your diet, especially if turmeric does not feature in your meals.

Fresh turmeric is a signature herb of the cold season and we enjoy it in so many ways while it is available. This milk along with pickled turmeric and ginger are the top ways we do so.

A small cup of this milk does go a long way. From kids to adults, it is helpful for everyone and is a simple lifestyle change to make that sticks! 

Ingredients to make Turmeric Milk

Milk: The recipe obviously needs milk! From the dairy options like whole, 2% and skimmed to the non-dairy ones like oat, soy and almond will all work for the recipe.

Choosing a higher fat content will make the drink thicker and creamier. 

Turmeric: Fresh turmeric is the best for this recipe. This is my favorite brand of turmeric.

When it is not in season or inaccessible, use turmeric powder.

Wash the fresh turmeric really well. Grate it with the skin or after peeling.

Sugar: This is an optional ingredient. It can be used or substituted with honey or maple syrup. The milk can be made without sugar too. 

Spices: Spices are optional in the recipe. However, they are great for winters and add a lot of flavor apart from the strong turmeric flavor. 

I often add some spices like cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon and black peppers. They can be added as whole and boiled with the milk or in the powdered form.

A lot of people add ginger to the milk too. We have a lot of ginger in our tea and so we skip it here. Feel free to add ginger too.

Step by Step Instructions to make Turmeric Milk

1- Wash and grate fresh turmeric.

2- Add 2 tablespoon of water in the pan. Then add milk.

3- Next add the grated turmeric (or turmeric powder).

4- Add the spices and sugar (if using).

5- Mix well.

6- Let the milk come to a rolling boil on medium flame. Stir intermittently. 

7- Once the milk boils, turn the flame off.

8- Pour the milk into mugs using a fine mesh sieve. Serve turmeric milk warm, topped with some ground turmeric and black pepper powder.

Tips and Notes

• This turmeric milk can be made using fresh powdered turmeric.
• Dairy based milk or non-dairy based works well for this recipe.
• Spices and sweetener are optional in the recipe. Use them as you like.
• The higher the fat content of the milk, the creamier the turmeric milk will be. 
• Once prepared it is best to consume the milk immediately. Heat it again if serving later.

The recipe was originally published in 2015, updated in 2022.