Golden Milk (Masala Haldi Doodh)

5 from 27 votes

Golden Milk aka Haldi Doodh is a comforting drink made with milk, turmeric and warm spices. Turmeric's anti-inflammatory properties makes it a perfect drink to have when you are under the weather or just when need a little pick-me-up!

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Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory and healing properties makes this Golden Milk aka Haldi Doodh, an ideal drink to have when you are under the weather or just when you feel like having a comforting drink!

PS: Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas everyone! I am taking a break from blog for the holidays and will see you guys in January! Have a wonderful time!

golden milk being poured from a jug into a glass with another glass in the background and a spoon full of turmeric on the side

India has a very rich culture and so much has been said about it over the years. Of late, I have started realizing that the things which we took for granted in India have suddenly become a rage in the western world.

Like yoga, like turmeric, ghee and so on. The list is pretty long!

Isn’t it amazing how things I grew up with have suddenly attracted so much attention, it amazes me sometimes.

Turmeric- so much has been said about it’s benefits and healing properties. I see turmeric tablets at Costco now, it has become that popular in the US these days.

As an Indian, I grew up eating turmeric everyday of my life. We ate dal and veggies everyday and every dal and veggie had turmeric in it so we had it for lunch and dinner both.

Turmeric or haldi as we call it in Hindi is an integral part of Indian cooking. It’s one of those core spices without which you can’t cook Indian food. It’s added to pretty much everything in India from lentils to veggies to pickles, rice – you name it!

I must tell you guys that turmeric truly has amazing healing properties. Whenever I would hurt myself and had a bump on my head or a chronic deep pain which refuses to go, my mom would make a paste of onion and turmeric.

hand wearing a glove holding a glass of golden milk (haldi doodh)

She would heat these two things together (until it was piping hot!) and then place that onion-turmeric paste on the spot where I had the pain and tie it with a piece of cloth. For it to be effective, it had to be applied while it was hot.

Trust me, the pain just disappeared next morning! Sometimes, if it was a chronic kind of pain, it would take 2 to 3 days for it to go but it eventually always went away. It was magic!

What is Haldi Doodh aka Golden Milk

One thing which I grew up having pretty regularly was Haldi Doodh (haldi=turmeric and doodh=milk) or what is commonly known these days in the western world as Golden Milk. It’s nothing but milk mixed with ground turmeric.

My mom would make me drink it whenever I was not feeling well or was under the weather or had a deep pain which was refusing to go.

As a child, I wasn’t very fond of haldi doodh. Who would have thought that such a simple drink would become all the rage when I grow up!

glass of golden milk with a spoon with another glass in the background

How to Make Turmeric Milk/Golden Milk

My mom made it with only 2 ingredients- milk and turmeric. So she would stir milk with turmeric powder in a pot and bring it to a simmer. You could then sweeten if you wanted but that was about it, she didn’t add any spices to it.

But now that I make it on my own sometimes (oh and now I don’t mind it at all like I used to when I was little), I add in a lot of spices (masala) and hence I call it Masala Haldi Doodh.

Dairy or Non-dairy Milk

You can use milk of choice for this recipe. I have tried this recipe with regular and almond milk and it works well with both. It’s also good with cashew milk!

Once you have chosen your milk, just add the milk along with the turmeric and all other spices and sweetener to the pot and bring to a light simmer. You don’t really want to boil it but you want the flavors to mix-in together.

golden milk in a blue pot with a whisk with small bowls of spices on the side

Spices Used in Golden Milk

Since my version of golden milk is heavy on spices, here’s a list of spices that I have in my golden milk recipe:

✓ turmeric (of course!)

✓ green cardamom pods

✓ black peppercorns

✓ cinnamon stick

✓ fresh ginger

a small black bowl with ginger and cardamom and a spoon with turmeric on the side

strainer with strained spices placed over a jug

I love my haldi doodh with a lot of spices hence the long list. If you don’t want any spices, feel free to drink it just plain with milk and turmeric – just like my mom made it.

Another spice which I love to add to my haldi doodh is nutmeg, just a pinch of it and it goes really well.

Once your golden milk is all done and ready to serve, I like to sprinkle it with cinnamon or cardamom powder before serving. It’s totally optional.

I hope you guys like my version of the humble haldi doodh. Mom always made me drink it at bedtime, I guess it helped in getting a sound sleep too. Whether you drink it at bedtime or any other time of the day, it definitely makes up for a comforting drink.

Method

1- Add milk to a pan on medium heat. After a minute or two (when the milk is little lukewarm) add turmeric powder to it.

2- Then add crushed green cardamom pods, sliced ginger, black peppercorns and cinnamon stick.

3- Add in the sweetener.

4- Whisk it all together and bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes. You don’t need to boil it but it should be nicely hot throughout.

step by step picture collage of making golden milk aka haldi doodh

Remove pan from heat, cover pan with a plate or lid and let it sit for another 5 minutes for the flavors to steep in. Strain the golden milk using a strainer into serving cups.

Serve warm! You may sprinkle with cardamom or cinnamon powder before serving.

haldi doodh aka golden milk in a glass with another glass in the background and a spoon with turmeric on the side

If you’ve tried this Golden Milk Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on FacebookInstagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!

Golden Milk (Masala Haldi Doodh)

5 from 27 votes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 2
Golden Milk aka Haldi Doodh is a comforting drink made with milk, turmeric and warm spices. Turmeric's anti-inflammatory properties makes it a perfect drink to have when you are under the weather or just when need a little pick-me-up!

Ingredients 

  • 2 1/2 cups milk 20 oz, use milk of choice
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 4 green cardamom pods slightly crushed
  • 1/2 inch ginger cut into thin slices
  • 5-6 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 tablespoon sweetener of choice sugar, maple syrup, honey, adjust to taste
  • cinnamon or cardamom powder to serve, optional
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Instructions 

  • Add milk to a pan on medium heat. After a minute or two (when the milk is little lukewarm) add turmeric powder to it.
  • Then add crushed green cardamom pods, sliced ginger, black peppercorns and cinnamon stick.
  • Add in the sweetener and whisk it all together and bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes. You don't need to boil it but it should be nicely hot throughout. 
  • Remove pan from heat, cover pan with a plate or lid and let it sit for another 5 minutes for the flavors to steep in. Strain the golden milk using a strainer into serving cups.
    You may sprinkle with cardamom or cinnamon powder before serving.

Notes

The nutritional information is using regular 2% milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 140mg, Potassium: 509mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 300IU, Vitamin C: 1.4mg, Calcium: 380mg, Iron: 1.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Beverage
Cuisine: Indian
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Hi, I’m Manali!

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5 from 27 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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65 Comments

    1. I am not sure I got your question? Masala doesn’t always refer to a spice blend. In India we also generally say “masala” to anything spiced. Since this haldi doodh recipe has spices in it, I have used the term masala.

      1. on Amazon there are multiple “Types” of Masala
        Garam Masala
        Vindaloo Masala
        Tikka Masala
        Tandoori Masala
        Channa Masala
        So I wasn’t sure which Masala I should buy.

      2. for this recipe, you don’t need any masala mix! :/ And those masala mixes are used in different recipes, but this recipe uses none of them!

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for this recipe. It is wonderful to know that I can have turmeric and its benefits this way. I am so grateful to you and your family tradition. In Spain we have many broths and foods you can have if you are ill, but you have chai and Masala Haldi Doodh. I am a fan.

  2. 5 stars
    I wonder about “Golden Paste” . Is it traditional Indian? Or something we “westerners” have made up to make it easier to make golden milk?
    And if it is authentic, do you have a recipe for it? Thank you.
    I make my golden paste with turmeric, fresh ground pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and ashwaghanda (all dried spices…I may try the fresh turmeric, and ginger, cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods…)

    1. we only had haldi doodh growing up, didn’t know about golden paste so maybe it’s a western thing 🙂 my mom used to make paste with turmeric but it was usually to heal wounds etc.

  3. Have you tried to replicate this recipe using only dry ingredients? I have been adding some version turmeric and cinnamon to my daily protein shake for years for the anti inflammatory benefits but I wonder about the ratios. Some recipes I’ve found use a huge ratio of turmeric (1 tbsp) versus other other spices (1/2 tsp)

    1. all are dry ingredients here except ginger, you can add 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder in place (or more as needed).

  4. Hello if you’re using turmeric root instead of powder , how much would you use and how long should you cook it.

  5. My hospital consultant has been recommending that I drink tumeric with milk for some time now as he promises it will improve my health. Thank you for the recipe I will let you know how I get on.

  6. 5 stars
    I’m beginning to learn the benefits of golden milk – thanks for the recipe – I’ll be making this soon! I’ve discovered I like it with lots of spiced, too!

  7. 5 stars
    I love this recipe so much! I’ve been using the exact spices for years except for the pepper. I will definitely add it in next time. Thank you for sharing. 🙏🏼

  8. Hi! I am wondering what kind of milk you personally use for your recipe? I just made it for the first time and used canned coconut milk, and it was delicious. However, it is so rich, that now my stomach is upset.

    Thank you!

    1. I usually make it with oat or cashew milk. If using coconut milk, I would recommend using the one you can find in cartons and not in cans, those are super creamy and rich.

  9. 5 stars
    Thanks…. have been hearing of this of late for quite sometime during covid times… elders at home have been taking it in another form with kachhi haldi ( looks more like ginger)

    This is being talked of as a strong immunity booster and this I what is the need of the hour in these turbulent times

  10. 5 stars
    This is so delicious! I find myself making it every night with a 1tbsp of manuka honey. It’s so comforting and I really think it has been helpful for some health issues that I have had.

  11. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!!! Love it. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
    I have a question for you:
    I prefer to control my sugar intake. If I don’t add any sweetener, natural or artificial, to haldi milk, does it affect its benefits in any way?
    Thank you,
    Sharda

  12. 5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this recipe as well as your story of your Mother making a turmeric paste. So very interesting. I suffer from chronic back pain, digestive issues & insomnia. I’m now making Masala Haldi Doodh, using your recipe, for my before bedtime drink. 🌈✌ Hoping the every day use of it will help my issues go away. What are your thoughts on drinking this daily?

  13. I make it with the same ingredients but one. Instead of cinnamon, i add jeera. And also i add fresh turmeric root instead of powder. It tastes better and has a good aroma on its own.

  14. You have suggested adding honey as a sweetener and to boil the milk with it. But this is considered harmful, and not recommended by Ayurveda. Honey should never be heated. Here is a link that lists the reasons explained in modern and ancient scientific perspectives. PLEASE READ …

    https://lifespa.com/heated-honey-ayurveda/#:~:text=When%20honey%20is%20heated%20or,5%2Dhydroxymethylfurfural%20(HMF).
    Many people follow your site and recipes faithfully. It would be nice if you warn them about heating honey and stop giving it as a recommendation.

    Thank you for taking the time to create and maintain your blog and instagram page. It’s a wonderful service.

    1. hmm I am very well aware of this. And that’s why I have never said to boil the milk in the recipe just heat it up. And my recipe uses sugar, honey is only suggested as a sweetener option so I haven’t even used honey here (please see picture no.3 which shows me adding sugar in step by step photos). thanks for following.

  15. 5 stars
    Nice!but please tell me can we make it in large amount and store it in fridge?for how many days can we keep in fridge and just reheat the required amount and use?will it destroy the property of turmeric milk?7please reply

    1. In Some recipes they start to make a turmeric paste, which you can keep in the fridge for two weeks. 2:1 water and spices, let it slimmer until you have a paste. From this paste take one teaspoon for one cup of milk

  16. Is it ok to use normal cooking turmeric powder to make this or use only organic turmeric powder ? I would like to try it. Tq.?

  17. This looks like the recipe that I have been looking for. Does it matter if I use ground cardamom powder instead of cardamom pods?

  18. I added a drop of vanilla extract and kalijeera to mine to make it healthier! Also made it with only one and a half cup of milk. Opted for organic homemade honey in 4 teaspoons. The honey is watery in consistency, so for thicker honey I’d say one teaspoon can add enough sweet kick.

  19. 5 stars
    Hi Manali ! This masala haldi doodh was fabulous. I was looking for a creative way to get some whole milk into my diet ( because I dislike the taste of milk) and voila? !! Your recipe was successful in making me drink milk in a form which I enjoy . The addition of these lovely spices not only give so much flavour but also numerous health benefits. Thanks a lot for sharing !!

    1. 5 stars
      Absolutely fantastic?❣
      I loved the tasty of spices like turmeric and cinnamon. Also put some black pepper, ginger, coco oil and honey.
      Thank you?!

      1. You are supposed to use the pepper , it is suppose to activate the turmeric,,, but you strain everything out, so you dont really taste the pepper,, but this drink is amazing, i drink it all the time and for years now. it’s really good with the cardamom too,,,,
        I like mine with honey and cinnamon, fresh ginger and the turmeric powder,, i use 2% milk also.

  20. 5 stars
    I put a small amount of ground pepper in mine and added a bit of my mum’s homemade chai masala as I didn’t have fresh ginger. It was delicious, and very warming!

  21. 5 stars
    This is what I was looking for! A recipe from original version….me too love the flavor of fresh ginger and cardamom pods …I learned here that it’s not necessary let it boil just let it steep in for 5 min……thank you for the recipe
    5 ☆☆☆☆☆

  22. 5 stars
    I have been wanting to try this for some time as I’ve heard so much of turmeric milk. Yours is the first recipe I’ve tried and made it with almond milk, without the peppercorns, a bit of honey, and sprinkled with cinnamon. It was absolutely delicious! ? Thank you very much for sharing!