Ayurvedic Golden Milk
Golden milk is revered as one of Ayurveda’s nourishing elixirs of health. Also known as haldi doodh in Hindi, and is sometimes called “Turmeric Milk.” Golden milk is tonifying beverage said to build “Ojas” the immune boosting force that offers resilience and vitality. It includes a blend of grounding herbs that support digestion (Agni) , circulation, joint health and more. The magic ingredient and vibrant color comes from turmeric which is considered a tridoshic, meaning that it supports all constitutions - Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
Below are two recipes to enjoy golden milk. The first is making it from scratch, the latter is a mix I love that its from a woman-owned Ayurvedic business.
Ingredients
Fresh grated turmeric and/or ground turmeric
Fresh grated ginger
Ground cinnamon
Pinch of black pepper
Chopped dates
Milk of choice (recommend higher fat milks or creamy milks, i.e. oat milk, full fat coconut milk. Option to mix milks)
Ghee or Organic Coconut oil
Optional flavors include:
Maple syrup if extra sweetener is desired
Water if dilution / less thickness is desired
Splash of vanilla extract for flavor profile
How to make Golden Milk from Scratch
Let me preface this by saying this recipe is very folk in spirit and style. Follow your intuition, your own taste palette. Consider the measurements as ‘estimates’.
Grate turmeric and ginger
Begin to warm milk on medium stove top
Add turmeric, ginger, and additional spices
Chop dates and toss them in the pot to sweeten it up (option to save a few chopped dates on the side).
Add a dollop of ghee or coconut oil (the fat helps the turmeric be absorbed)
Add a pinch of pepper (which also helps turmeric absorption).
Stir, simmer, taste and adjust to preference. For those who prefer a less rich / more liquid base, add some water. Remove from heat.
To prepare, put a chopped date in the bottom of a mug, strain the liquid gold into your mug (option to keep the ground herbs if you enjoy them). The dates will provide sweetness, but if you desire a touch more - add some maple syrup.
Enjoy!
Golden milk mix from Paavani Ayurveda
If you don’t have all the ingredients, one of my favorite pre-made blends is Golden Milk made by Paavani Ayurveda. This blend has some additional adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha and shatavari with nourish the nervous system and support stress relief.
Here is a short video on how to make their mix.
Essentially: Add 1 tsp of their golden milk mixture into a mug of warm milk. Add a dollop of ghee or coconut oil. Embellish as desired and enjoy!
Modify for your Dosha
Vata: Add extra sweet + warming spice. The Medjool dates are grounding and considered a “Sattvic” or pure and clean food by the Ancient Yogis. A larger amount of oil, milk, or cinnamon will all help nourish Vata.
Pitta: Maple syrup is a cooling sweetener. The sweet taste in general can ground Pitta. Use less quantities of heating herbs like ginger.
Kapha: Kick up the spice with extra ginger. Use smaller portions of ghee or oil and sweetener.