Evening Winter Recipe: Haldi Doodh (Golden Latte)

In the last few years, golden lattes have become the new trendy drink. However that plumpy old South Asian grandmother that you passed by the other day probably drank it the other night, along with her mother, and her mother, and her mother before. Haldi- Doodh means Turmeric-Milk. Culturally, most drink it to help with sleep, with a cough, to prevent sickness, or during and after pregnancy. I just think it's a perfect evening beverage for this unnecessarily cold time of the year. This drink does not need to cost as much as it does at your hippest cafe. It also tastes much better when made at home with all the extra ingredients. 

I am not a big milk drinker so I altered the recipe using almond milk, which also adds a natural sweetness and lots of protein.

Ingredients:
Makes 2 cups

8 ounces of almond milk & 4 ounces of filtered water
1 tablespoon of turmeric powder
Pinch of ground black pepper
A few whole cardamoms
Slices of fresh ginger
I tsp raw honey
Grated cinnamon bark
Pinch of nutmeg powder
1 tablespoon collagen hydrolysate
1 teaspoon of Maca powder
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt

These are common household ingredients for me, so I include them. However, for those looking to keep it simple, just milk, turmeric, pepper, salt, and raw honey is enough!

Key Benefits

Ginger: This is one of my favorite ingredients. Just the scent of it when I'm juicing it makes me happy. Ginger also reduces nausea, muscle pain, arthritis (because it's anti-inflammatory) and studies have shown that it has improved sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. It is effective against menstrual pain and has been found to reduce LDL cholesterol in the blood.


Cardamom: This is another common ingredient among many eastern cultures. It originated from South Asia and now Guatemala is the larger producer. It is in the same family as Ginger and it helps with digestive problems like IBS. Studies also show that it helps with lowering blood pressure. Most of the people I know just use it in tea, coffee, and some curries, or as a breath freshener.

Turmeric: I think most people are now becoming pretty aware of the benefits of turmeric. Primarily it is anti-inflammatory and an anti-oxidant. It contains a substance called curcumin which is best absorbed in the body with piperline (found in pepper) and fat. Although tumeric is very potent, the levels of curcumin in turmeric are not insanely high, so you should incorporate tumeric in your food and drink daily for best results. Curcumin also crosses the blood-brain barrier, which studies show an improvement of neurological function. There are also many studies that show a significant improvement in symptoms of arthritis. 

Directions

Heat the almond milk & water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in all of the ingredients except the cinnamon. 

Once the milk is close to a boil, it's ready to be put in the blender. At this point you could filter out the cardamom and ginger or you could blend it all together for extra flavor.

Sprinkle some nutmeg, cinnamon, and turmeric on top as desired. Swirl and enjoy!

Recipe: Matcha Afternoons

Matcha lattes have started to become a recent alternative to coffee, especially in the afternoons when taking coffee would keep me up all night. I usually would just buy them from a coffee shop, but decided to start making them at home. I have had matcha powder in my cupboard for awhile now but only started using it! To be honest, coffee tastes way better and making matcha requires more attention. I also usually prefer my coffee black and my green tea unsweetened, so a heavier, creamier drink is not kin to my standard palate.

However, the benefits of Matcha are great, and far outweigh the benefits of my most precious elixir that is coffee. I also add certain supplements to my juices which also work fluently with the lattes. Collagen, Incan Maca, and Indian Ashwagandha all have a warmer tone to it, which complement the combination of milk and Matcha. I will mention the benefits of each below based on the research available. Keep in mind, there can almost always be room for further or replicate studies when it comes to nutrition. However, most of these supplements are well-documented and have been helping people for thousands of years. This Matcha recipe is packed with protein and adaptogens.

Matcha: Matcha is the finely ground, soluble form of regular green tea. Regular brewed green tea contains an antioxidant called catechins. Catechins have been found to have anti-cancer properties and increase metabolism. Matcha, however, usually contains three times the amount of catechins. Additionally, matcha does not cause the shakiness that coffee can cause, and fare better in those who cannot handle coffee.

Collagen: These are amino acids from cows and fish. It smells weird but there is no noticeable taste to it when mixed in drinks. There are countless cases that have shown improvement in skin quality (using scan technologies), in joint pain, and in decreasing intestinal permeability (leaky gut) symptoms. If none of these benefits happen for you, collagen will at least keep you fuller for longer. This is probably the only supplement on the list which is a newer trend that could afford to have more intensive studies.

Maca: The Maca plant is originally from the Andes region and was consumed by the Incans for thousands of years. Most importantly, it balances hormones and has more calcium than milk.

Ashwagandha: This root has been used in India also as an adaptogen for thousands of years. Studies show that Ashwagandha powder improves insulin sensitivity and decreases the stress hormone, cortisol. It also reduces hair loss.

Cinnamon: Make sure you use true Ceylon cinnamon. We buy ours from our local Indian store in sticks/bark. It balances blood sugar, is a source of anti-oxidants (which are anti-cancer), and reduces total cholesterol. Learn more about the well-documented and proven effects here.

Matcha Recipe

(Makes two cups)

Ingredients:

10 ounces of a nut mylk (I use almond or macadamia, without fillers or preservatives)
6 ounces of water
1.5 teaspoons of organic Matcha powder
2 tablespoons of hydrolyzed collagen
1 tablespoon of Maca powder
1 teaspoon of Ashwagandha root powder
Grate/sprinkle of cinnamon

Genuinne granite tray and mixing bowl are from HomeGoods, clay spice bowls are from a women's co-op in the Guatemalan village of San Marcos, & cups are from World Market

Directions:

1. Heat up the milk and water on the stovetop, almost to a boiling point. Lower heat.
2. Add the powders: Matcha, collagen, maca, ashwaghanda
3. Whisk or pour into a blender for extra frothiness
4. Pour and add cinnamon!

Enjoy!