Turmeric Milk-The Golden Milk

Posted on by Anushruti
Turmeric Milk-The Golden Milk
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I was quite pleased to know that the golden milk concoction that I religiously consumed and the son regularly drank was now being touted as a miracle drink.
With fancy names like turmeric latte or golden milk, the west seems to have suddenly discovered a drink that is deeply rooted in Indian culture and civilisation and is also being looked at as a coffee alternative.
Turmeric is a spice that has always been an intrinsic part of our lives, be it through religious ceremonies or through our food. Vegetable preparations, dals, curries and rice dishes, most of our food seems to be incomplete without this miracle spice.
Apart from the gorgeous colour, turmeric also imbues a dish with its characteristic flavour and most importantly, it's miraculous healing properties.
Some turmeric highlights-
1. Turmeric is great for many health ailments like- intestinal disorders, worms, anaemia, asthma, cough and cold, sprains, boils, skin disorders and sore eyes.*
2. It is one of the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory agent known to us- good for arthritis, aches and pains.
3. It is supposed to prevent and inhibit cancer cells, help in diabetes management, blood pressure control and also in preventing Alzheimer's disease.
4. Turmeric has been used for beauty applications for ages- acne, skin lightening, brightening and tightening and other skin ailments are greatly benefited with the appropriate use of turmeric.
5. Turmeric is known to delay ageing, fight age related chronic diseases and also prevent and manage depression.
Turmeric, has to be one of the most researched spices in the western world and it's great that people are waking up to its benefits.
My consumption of turmeric is mainly through the Indian food that I cook and eat. I also love to mix half a teaspoon of turmeric powder into my milk at night. There is nothing fancy about this drink, but the rejuvenating powers of turmeric work their miracle to make me energised.
 I love to add some cardamom powder into my turmeric milk at night. I find the fragrance and flavour resulting from the union of turmeric and cardamom, soothing and restorative when mixed into a cup of milk.  If I'm in for a cold, then maybe ill add a splash of ginger juice too. A dash of pepper mixed into the milk is also good when you want to fight a nasty cold.
Today I would also like to share with you a little tit bit about one of my favourite products that has turmeric in it. I have sensitive skin and use ubtans and home made packs on a daily basis. But when I'm filming/shooting or have events to attend, it means that I need deep cleansing to remove my makeup. After trying face washes from across the spectrum of products available in the market, right from drug store to premium brands, I came across Himalaya Herbals purifying neem face wash, recommended by one of my favourite make up artists.
Whenever I use makeup, I use Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Face Wash after using M.A.C cleanse off oil. The active components in this face wash are turmeric and neem and this is suitable for all skin types. Priced at rupees 150 for a 150 ml pack, this does not burn a big hole in my pocket too.  Himalaya Herbals is a reputed and well known wellness brand in India and the pricing is quite competitive as well!  The brand has now added two other variants to this range, the purifying neem scrub and the purifying neem pack. I did try the purifying neem pack as well. There was a mild tingling sensation on the skin, and after I washed it off, my skin felt cleaner, fresher and brighter. A lone pimple on my right cheek, shrunk in size as well. Priced at rupees 130 for a 100 g pack, fuller's earth, turmeric and neem are the active components in this pack. However, I do wish the pack did not have parabens, like the face wash. But, the pack is great to use when your skin breaks out and you want to dry the acne out. Follow Himalaya Herbals on their Facebook page and Twitter handle for more details.
These range of products by Himalaya Herbals have two key ingredients- Turmeric and Neem. Neem is known to have many anti bacterial, antiseptic and antioxidant properties. And the goodness of both neem and turmeric has been captured in these products.
Now coming back to our main topic of discussion – well, this is what happens when a food blogger tries to talk about something other than food! A lot of fancy things are added at times to a turmeric latte, but the turmeric milk that I consume at bed time is simply a glass of organic milk laced with simple spices. Using good quality cow milk from happy cows is key. If you are a vegan, you could use soy or nut milk too.
According to Ayurveda, milk is best had at bed time (I keep a gap of 2 hours after dinner). There are numerous health benefits to having turmeric milk at bed time-but the immediate effects are good digestion, a sense of well being and a good night's rest. And I'm sure you agree with me that a good night's rest is probably one of the most important assets in life and this drink is one of the secrets to enjoying it.
P.S- I know this has been a long gap and many of you have been waiting for new recipes and posts. I have been cooking during this time and a lot of exciting recipes are in the pipeline. Hard disk crashes, software migration and other life events have come in the way of making regular posts and I apologise for not being regular, as much as I would like to. I'm in the process of getting them sorted so I can be back with gusto! All the posts here until now, have been shot with my SLR cameras but this entire post has been shot with my iphone 6s plus and written from a hospital room where my husband is recuperating with a slipped disc. Quite impressed with the pictures taken from a mobile phone. What do you think?
* Herbs That Heal- H.K. Bhakhru

Turmeric Milk-The Golden Milk Recipe

Ingredients:

250 ml ( 1 cup) milk
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)
1 cardamom, shelled and the seeds powdered (optional)
2 tsp raw sugar (optional)

Method:

In a saucepan, heat the milk alongwith the turmeric powder and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the optional spices and sweetener.
*A lot of people use honey with turmeric milk. According to Ayurveda, if honey is heated it produces toxins in the body. If you prefer to sweeten your turmeric milk, then raw sugar is your best choice.
 
Serves one. Best had hot or warm.

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