Last year on my return from the Kailash Manasarovar yatra, I had a severe case of acid reflux which was affecting my throat and vocal chords. Apparently, eating foods cooked in an unknown quality of oils and lying in sleeping bags (without pillow) can cause this. Of course, my intense running also brings up stomach acid and aggravates it. In addition to medications and other dietary changes, my doctor recommended that I stop drinking coffee! I could not imagine starting my day without a double shot of espresso. But I loved running more. So for several months I drank green tea in the mornings (and yawned at my desk). I came upon Masala Milk Mix in the grocery store and loved its refreshing taste. My mother noted that it was easy to make the powder at home and that got me started on grinding my own Badam Pista Milk Mix.
Now, I start my day with a warm cup of Badam Pista Dudh. I still drink about half a cup of coffee after lunch. My acidity problems have been essentially resolved and I feel great.
Easy to make.
Here is the recipe:
- 1 cup almonds (roasted, unsalted)
- 1 cup shelled pistachios (roasted, unsalted)
- seeds of 30 cardamom cloves (about 2 teaspoons of seeds)
- 1 teaspoon kesar (saffron)
- Grind almonds, pista and cardamom seeds, separately in a dry grinder
- Add kesar at the very end by simply crumpling it with fingers
- Mix well and store in a dry cool place.
- 1/2 teaspoon of powder
- 1 cup of milk; 1% low fat!
- microwave for 2 minutes.
- For sweetening, I use a teaspoon of kolhapuri jaggery, instead of sugar. Jaggery thickens the milk, and has a lower glycemic index. Thus you avoid the sugar high and is particularly good for diabetics.
- Effect of Pistachio Nuts on Serum Lipid Levels in Patients with Moderate Hypercholesterolemia (Abstract)
- Pistachio Nut Consumption and Serum Lipid Levels (Abstract)
- Nuts and Plasma Lipids: An Almond-Based Diet Lowers LDL-C while Preserving HDL-C (Abstract)
- Effects of Plant-Based Diets High in Raw or Roasted Almonds, or Roasted Almond Butter on Serum Lipoproteins in Humans (Abstract)
- Critical Review: A Systematic Review of the Effects of Nuts on Blood Lipid Profiles in Humans (Abstract)
To prepare:
To make Badam Pista Milk:
Early mornings as I sip the badam milk, I do my floor stretches. Rejuvenated, I am ready for the day!
Health benefits of Almonds and Pistachios:
Everyone touts the health benefits of almonds, but I was pleasantly surprised to find good scientific data indicating these nuts do indeed improve cardiovascular health. A daily snack of almonds is effective in lowering Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) the bad cholesterol, by upto 16%. Pistachios increase High Density Cholesterol (HDL) the good cholesterol; and both these nuts lower total cholesterol. I have provided links to a few references below.
References:
Life is Beautiful! Live it the Fullest!
Marathoner, Professor, Author, Citizen Journalist, Fitness Nut, Foodie, Meera's father, Hindu, Scientist, Photographer.
Arun, it would be an honour for me …that you find my humble pedas worth discussing!! … the link took me to a dead end though…
Tatiana –
Thank you. We love those cups!
the cups look like the real ones!
Dove – you are wonderfully enthusiastic about foods! You seem to have a very healthy diet – rich in nuts, oats and beans. Kudos for having the discipline to keep to it.
And almond milk at the local co-op? Lucky you!
A local farm house here does stock banana milk, but it is in ‘whole’ milk’
I love cardamom – really adds that extra zest to desserts (even to icecream).
If you have an indian grocery store nearby, they prolly have a ready mix powder of this which you just have to mix in milk and warm it up.
BTW, interesting stuff on your site! Need to spend more time.
Best and thanks for browsing!.
arun
Wow, looks/sounds delish… I’m not big on recipes though, lol I’m glad I can just get it my almond milk ready-made at the local co-op
I eat lotsa nuts/seeds daily, but I don’t know that much about pistachios… As I understand, almonds are alkaline, so I try to eat them more, along with my almond milk (which I’m hoping is alkaline)…and I eat them when I’m eating something I know to be pretty acidic, like egg whites, oats, beans… I’ve recently starting eating a few brazil nuts here and there, I read that just a couple of ‘em pack a good supply of selenium. Cardamom is a wonderful thing to add to the diet, as well cinnamon (helps blood sugar) and coriander — they counter a lot of the “baddies” 
I need to find me a guy who’s into recipes, lol…and would just adore mixin’ me up stuff like this mah-vuh-lous-sounding milk
Dove
Thank you Sirisha! Enjoy!
Nice one Arun…….looks yummmm
Enjoy it Bill! Great after a workout!
Excellent, absolutely fabulous
Asha –
you are supposed to be resting, no? thanks for taking the time to browse. Yes, my acid reflux is ‘nearly’ taken care of. Apparently, distance running and the acidic gatorade I drink is not good. Will have to find something to substitute for the gatorade.
Sensible rule you have about not eating after 6:30pm.
Ohhhh! Obbattu! Just received a package of obbattu from mom! (may she live long!). I generally douse it with warm tuup and eat; but should try it the traditional way too. Thanks!
and hope you are recovering well.
Hope you recovered completely from Acid reflux Arun, it can do some damage if severe. I don’t eat anything after 6.30pm to give the body to process before we sleep.
Pista Badam milk look wonderful.We make Badami Halu with Obbattu, don’t we? Addition of Pista makes it yum, and colorful.Enjoy,take care:))
Hi Rachna:
Kolhapuri jaggery is just a brand name of jaggery from Kolhapur (one of the largest sugar producing districts in Maharashtra). The brand we get here is labelled “Kolhapuri Jaggery.” But all jaggery should work. Yes, you could easily replace the brown sugar with the jaggery in tea. Actually in rural karnataka, they only use jaggery for their tea and coffee, coz it is cheaper!
The jaggery does change the taste slightly – I like it better; it makes the tea thicker and a more ‘broader’ taste.
I keep the jaggery in a jar on the counter and use a spoon to scrape out a teaspoon (roughly equals 2 teaspoons of sugar). Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Your father is wise. About a handfull of almonds a day can reduce cholesterol and also contains important anti-oxidants.
BTW, was referring to your pedas on another site. See this thread! Hope you didn’t mind!
)
Hey Arun… love this badam pista milk…yummy…
wat is kohlapuri jaggery… so can i replace my bown sugar with jaggery in my tea?… to help regulate my weight… if it helps so much and doesnt give the sugar high im trying to control…
my dad has always vouched for badam and even badam rogan… he blanches them and pops a few in his mouth (like pills) as a daily medicine!!!
love the pic with the cute cups too
Thanks Entropy (Deepak?)
you have a nice site too. Nice place in pune! Browse and enjoy to your heart’s content.
As such, interesting & inspiring blog in terms of range & depth of contents and presentation.. will certainly, visit again to read, share & explore..
hi Shalu –
Let me know how your mix turns out. BTW, for variation you could add cashewnuts and even a hint of nutmeg!
Milk is only slightly acidic (pH ~ 6.7) and it has a large buffering capacity due to milk proteins. So it does ‘calm’ the stomach acidity, which can reach pH 3 – 4. Importantly, milk does not trigger stomach acid production; For me – “Garam Masala” (likely cloves and cinnamon in it) is the primary trigger, so I avoid it. Also tomato sauces used with pasta, is a big no-no!
Stress is an important trigger for acidity and could have caused your acidity issues during the PhD. Congratulations! what in?
Lucky you! You will live long with that green tea!
PS, the references are pretty good, but not large multi-center trials – but they make the point well.
aaah, brings back sweet memories, this does. haven’t had a wholesome cuppa of this brew in ages. i will assemble the mix today itself! milk is acidic- does this concoction have a basic pH? i’m going to look up each of these references, thanks. you know, i had a bad case of acid reflux too. mercifully, post Ph.D. and post moving to bangalore, it just went away on its own. i still have trigger factors like raw onions and aerated drinks but i’m essentially reflux free. thankfully i’m addicted to green tea and not coffee in the mornings
Katie
Give it a try. Premade mixes are readily available at any of the Indian grocery stores in Cambridge. Try and see if you like the taste.
Mmm. This drink sounds lovely. I’ll have to try it.
Hi Mona –
Glad this brought back fond memories. I grind almond whole with the skin. BTW, these are roasted almonds and I additionally warm them to remove moisture and make them easier to grind. Ditto with the shelled pistachios. Hope you get to make the mix and please share your experience.
Thanks for the recipe! Do you grind the almonds with the skin or peel it off (after soaking in milk/water) ? Masala milk brings so many childhood memories. Mum used to make some after we came home drenched from soaking in the first rains!