Turmeric milk, also known as the “golden milk,” is like a warming ray of sunshine that is soothing and relaxing anytime of the day or night; the perfect ‘me time’ drink! I make mine with 1% milk, but also love it with coconut or almond milk. Ground turmeric, chopped fresh ginger root, cinnamon bark, and black peppercorns are heated in a bit of coconut oil, then the milk is added. Once the milk is nice and hot, it may be sweetened with a teaspoon of honey, but this gorgeous, golden drink is so tasty and smooth that it does not need anything else.
Turmeric is a warm spice with gold-yellow color and a bitter spicy flavor, that is a known antioxidant. This spice has been used in Asia for thousands of years. The turmeric plant grows in warm climates such as India and Australia. Turmeric is used in savory Persian dishes for flavoring a variety of meats such as, lamb, beef, chicken and turkey, as well as many vegetarian dishes. Some of the recipes that I wish for you to try are gheymeh, abgoosht, kalam polo, dolmeh bademjan just to name a few!
All of these super spices add amazing flavor to turmeric golden milk, and they also have numerous known health benefits that enrich its medicinal value. The earthy spiciness of turmeric, the spicy kick of black peppercorns, the fragrant heat of ginger, as well as the sweet warmth of cinnamon are also packed with antioxidants, and are believed to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Turmeric is usually cooked in savory Persian dishes along with black pepper as the base flavor. I guess our ancestors knew how to create delicious foods, but whether they were aware that the super spice black pepper facilitates the absorption of this golden spice is another story. As it turns out the quick digestion of turmeric is slowed down by black pepper, so it can be absorbed by our body for the maximum benefit. I heat the spices in a small amount of coconut oil to enhance their flavor and aroma, and this fat also aids in the absorption of turmeric.
Now that I have mentioned some of the amazing properties of turmeric, I feel I should bring up a subject that is of some concern to me. I have come across some recipes that instruct the reader to use turmeric instead of saffron due to the high price of saffron; this is a misleading statement with very disappointing results! I was brought up enjoying delicious foods prepared with saffron, as well as turmeric, and I love and use them both in my recipes. Turmeric gives a golden color to food; saffron does too, with a different hue. That is where the faint similarity between these two spices ends. Turmeric can not replace saffron, any more than saffron can take the place of turmeric in recipes.
I am a true fan of spices because of their aroma, flavor, and health benefits. Turmeric golden milk is like a warm hug on a chilly day, or a long night. It is also incredibly soothing for colds and sniffles that are almost inevitable in these cold months. You may increase the ingredients and make 2-3 batches of the following recipe and store the extra covered in the fridge, and warm it up and drink it in the next couple of days. I personally prefer to drink it steaming hot, while the whole kitchen is filled with the aroma of spices! Keep warm my friends!
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 5 whole peppercorns
- 1-inch unpeeled fresh ginger root, roughly chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
- 1 cup milk (your choice of 1% regular milk, coconut, or almond)
- 1 tsp honey
- Optional: 3-4 cardamom pods
- Add one teaspoon coconut oil and the rest of the spices to a small saucepan. Heat over low heat for 2-3 minutes until aromatic
- Add 1 cup milk to the saucepan and heat over medium low until very hot and steaming without boiling.
- Strain the mixture through a fine metal mesh to catch the solids. Pour into a cup or a small bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon honey, and enjoy!
- Optional: You may also add 3-4 whole cardamom pods to the spices.
When ready to use: The frozen ginger grates with an incredible ease, using a sharp microplane grater! You may also leave a piece out on the counter for 5 minutes or so and carefully cut off a chunk and chop, or slice.
Wow, this turmeric golden milk sounds so intriguing. I like the education you have provided about the digestive properties. I just love your narratives. 🙂
Fae, I truly appreciate your support my friend, you’re so kind! I love this cozy drink for relaxing and for its long term benefits; I hope you try it soon!
Thank U So Much For Such Heavenly Mixture ,
Can not wait to try it Saturday,
Thank U once again 😉
My pleasure dear Maryam; I love sharing my favorites with my readers! Enjoy and have a terrific weekend. Thank you for your comment 🙂
Thank you so much Homa Jon for this wonderful recipe. I am in Iran right now & reading this simple yet truly beneficial recipe with Persian influence was quite heartwarming. I have a feeling this would be a good drink if you are not a very good sleeper, is that true?
Your recipes have always been really praised by my friends & family. Thank you once more for sharing your gift with us…
Hello Fariba jan; I enjoyed reading your comment, and hope you’re having a wonderful time in Iran. I have become a true believer of this drink, it has a definite calming effect and relieves stress; so yes, I absolutely think that it would be relaxing before bedtime too. I thank you and your family and friends for ongoing support and love!
Going to try this soon. Sounds delicious!
Thank you Jared, that is wonderful! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do 😉
I’m going to make this today ,
Thank you Persian Mama xx
It is my pleasure Julia! Enjoy it my dear 🙂
Hi Homa, I recently saw a recipe similar to this when researching something to help my husband who is struggling with kidney stones.
Although this is not for kidney stones that remedy used turmeric and lemon etc.
I was intrigued by the article saying how great the turmeric pepper work together to aid in reducing inflammation. But you must use the two together.
So I am going to try this tonight, it looks like such a lovely comforting healthy drink to warm and soothe.
Thank you for your post. Its great to hear from you. I was very excited to open my email.
Best wishes.
Hi Gisela, it is always good to hear from you, and I appreciate your kind words. I hope you will like this recipe as much as I do. However, as beneficial as spices are, when there is a medical condition, such as kidney stones, it is always best to consult a physician, to eliminate any possibility of complications or interactions. Please keep in touch and thanks so much for your comment.
Thank you for sharing your great knowledge of Persian spices art. I happened to be searching for ways of increasing turmeric in my diet and here is your post! All those wonderful tips on how to actually enhance absorption, flavour and all the goodness of spices.
Your blog is one of my fav reads – I made several of your recipes and can’t wait to try this one – good for cold days.
Dear Marzena, how very nice of you to write to me with your encouraging words of support!
Thank you my dear, this is one of my favorite drinks and I hope you will enjoy it. I have used turmeric in my recipes for as long as I can remember, but in the past few years, I have been doubling the dose in my own cooking 😉 I agree with you; it is just that awesome!! I hope you will write back and comment on the recipes that you try. Please keep in touch!
I love this recipe. I often use it after a long day at work… So warming and comforting! Thanks!
You’re so welcome Lucy! I agree, it is the best drink to unwind with, and so quick to prepare! I wish you a relaxing weekend. Thank you so much for your message here 🙂
OK, looks like I may need the Turmeric Golden Milk recipe for Dummies because I’m looking at the amount of ginger and I’m having a hard time believing that I should use a piece of ginger the size of my thumb in one cup of tea (1-inch unpeeled fresh ginger root). Am I misunderstanding your recipe? Also, it says, “Add one teaspoon coconut oil and the rest of the spices to a small saucepan.” Is the ginger considered a spice because I see no further mention of it. Am I supposed to put it in the oil or just add it to the pot and steep it when adding the milk?
Sorry, twenty years of engineering made me cautious about everything.
Hi Cammie; the 1-inch fresh ginger root is chopped and added to the rest of the spices and heated in the coconut oil. Except for the turmeric that is in ground form, the rest of the spices are heated whole in the oil just for a few minutes, and then again heated with milk. They are strained leaving the milk with an amazing flavor and color. I hope this answers your question. Have a great evening.
Homa, Hello, this is Manijeh. Long time no talk. The truth is, you do not know my life story. It is a disaster. Last few days I am living on Xanax. However, Should you want anything, you always welcome to ask. Either I will know or not. I will tell you a story about turmeric. I love turmeric and use a lot but a few months ago my supplemental supplying company told me they have turmeric pills, meaning capsules filled with turmeric. I said that it is okay to send me. Thank God I only bought one bottle. After a couple of weeks of taking, I started a horrible itch. I knew that it is turmeric. I searched the internet and I was right. Turmeric has lots of benefits but taking it as a supplement creates a problem. So is cinnamon. But it is safe and the only thing is the discomfort. So I hope I will hear from you. Love Manijeh my dear mamshahri!
Dear Manijeh, I’m sorry you’re going through some hard times, and I hope things will get better soon! I’ve read about the complications with “supplements” of both turmeric and cinnamon, as well as many herbs, that are perfectly safe for most people in natural form but have side effects as supplements; they should come with a warning, if they don’t already! The regular spices and herbs that are used in recipes, are different from the so called supplements, and most people can use them in their cooking, unless they have some kind of allergic reaction to them, where they should consult a physician. Thanks very much for sharing your experience, and I’m sure it will be useful for others.
Make this drink its so delicious you will be hooked. I am making it often now. Makes daylight savings a bit less frazzling. If thats a word.
Thanks Homa you have such amazing things to share with us.
xx
Dear Gisela; loved reading your message, happy to hear you tried the recipe and liked it. I can relate to your thinking,’too early to be dark’ evening hours 😉 Have a great week!
It is such a pleasure to read Persian Mama I have referred to the recipes on several occasions and they all turned out wonderful! The Golden Milk sounds intriguing and I know it works marvelously for colds and coughs. I plan on making this soon!????❤???
Glad to have you here and read your comment my dear. I’m in love with this recipe and I hope you write me back once you try it 🙂
I’m drinking this right now, and it’s amazing! Perfect for the chilly, grey morning – thank you for sharing this drink recipe. I’ve tried a few of your recipes now and they’ve all turned out really yummy. Cheers from CA!
Dear Suzette; how lovely of you to write to me! I’m very happy to hear that you’ve tried this and my other recipes. It is a pleasure to share recipes with people who put them to good use 😉 Please keep in touch and have a great week!
Hello again Homa,
I have been making a similar milk drink for many years now after returning from India. Now I am living in Papua New Guinea I have fresh turmeric growing in the garden. I make a paste up and store in the fridge which lasts for months in a sealed jar, which can be used for many recipes.
I grate lots of fresh turmeric, messy process but worth it, I would recommend using gloves!bit I still seem to stain something regardless of how careful I am. Pop it in a food blender with some water until smooth and then gently heat through with coconut oil and black pepper on the stove for 5 mins until you get a paste consistency, store into sterilised jars and keep in the fridge. I top each jar with coconut oil to help preserve. Just convenient to have on hand and personally like the taste better of fresh turmeric.
I am really enjoying your blog, so very interesting, thank you for sharing so many things and with such passion.
Dear Marie; I’m sooo envious, Fresh turmeric?? That sounds heavenly! Sometimes I find fresh turmeric at our Asian market, and I usually freeze the extras. I’m definitely going to try your method. Thanks so much for writing to me and I really appreciate your encouraging words. Take care and keep in touch!
Ps your photos are beautiful and the little cup your tea is in is just stunning! Thank you for sharing. 😊
Thanks for your support and participation dear Marie 🙂
I love all of the information provided, I bought a powder but can’t wait to try this recipe. Questions if I find fresh tumeric should I use that ? Or should I just buy an organic ground tumeric ?
Happy to hear that Natali! The fresh turmeric root is delicious and it will work, but it will need more time to release its flavor and benefits. Please keep in touch and take care 🙂