Badam Milk

Ingredients:

Milk 4 Cups
Almonds 15 – 20
Green Cardamom 1
Almond Essence 2 – 4 drops
Saffron 4 – 8 Strands
Pistachios 4
Sugar 1/2 Cup or more

Method of preparation:

Lightly bruise the green cardamom and remove all the seeds.
Crush all the green cardamom seeds into fine powder.
Finely chop pistachios and slice almonds for garnish.
Soak almonds in warm water for sometime and peel off the skin.
Grind the peeled almonds into smooth paste adding enough water.

Bring milk to boil in a heavy sauce pot till the milk reduces by little more than quarter the original quantity.
Add the saffron, crushed cardamom seeds, ground almond paste and boil for 10 more minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in almond essence and sugar till the sugar dissolves completely.
Chill the badam milk for half an hour to an hour, garnish with chopped nuts and serve.

Notes: Make sure to grind the almonds to fine paste.

Suggestions: If almond milk is too thick, stir in half a cup of skimmed milk.
Variations: Add rose petals, orange color, sliced almonds, small piece of camphor at the end for a variation. Some like to soak almonds in warm milk rather than water.