Indian Almond Iced Milk - Badam Sharbat

It's July and it's typical weather in Indiana, hot one day and cool the next. Bicycling, a few friends, we're doing our best to keep the kids engaged and having fun this crazy summer. One of our most recent discoveries is a lovely park and creek. One night we can be downtown enjoying dinner, and the other we can be out hiking on a beautiful, peaceful trail.

So in our quest to explore new places around the city, we have discovered this lovely place. It's a peaceful respite and the kids love it, a place where kids can be kids. They have been building sandcastles, tromping through the water, picking up seashells, and "swimming" in a few feet of water. Who doesn't love cold water and a breeze in the summer? It's great to spend the mornings here. Sometimes we'll also go get ice cream, it's not summer without a melting cone of ice cream in a little kid's hand. Afterward, we all go home to cool off and have lunch.

When we get home, everyone is hot and sandy and after a good bath and lunch it's time to cool off with something refreshing. I have wanted to make my mom's Badam Sharbat for a while. It's like an Indian milkshake with almonds, milk, and a little bit of rosewater.

Badam sharbat is a refreshing summer drink typically made with sugar, water and fruit or flower petals that's popular in India and the Middle East. The drink's origins can be traced back to Persia. My mother would make it on hot summer days just like these.

Milk, rosewater and saffron are all prized ingredients that come together in this classic drink. A few drops of rosewater gives badam sharbat its characteristic flavor. Traditionally rosewater is made by pounding rose petals and water. Now rose essence is widely available in Indian grocery stores. I remember her handing me a cool glass and sipping it with her. It's one of the few recipes that she did not write down but I remember vividly. So recreating it has led me to many versions over the last few weeks.

Soak whole almonds for 3-4 hours. You can also soak them overnight, but I found this didn't make too much of a difference. This softens them and makes for a smoother drink. Peel the almonds and then blend in a blender until you get a very fine paste. I initially strained the mixture, but found if the almonds are soft enough and then cooked you don' have to strain it. Cook the almond paste with sugar until thick. The almond paste is delicious on its own and would also go great with ice cream. At this point, let the mixture cool. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Whisk the almond mixture with milk and rosewater, and sprinkle with a few strands of saffron. Serve chilled over ice, and you have a great summer drink!

Almond Iced Milk - Badam Sharbat

This is a refreshing summer drink. Almonds, milk and rosewater come together to make a almond-y like milkshake. Soaking the almonds helps to make them soft and smoother. You can easily substitute almond milk or soy milk to make this a non-dairy drink. I used whole milk but this would taste great with skim as well.  

This makes about 1 cup of almond sharbat mixture which can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Makes 4 8 oz ish drinks

• 1 cup whole almonds
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/8 teaspoon rose water
• Few strands of saffron (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sliced almonds

1. In a small saucepan, boil 2 cups of water. Add almonds and soak for 3-4 hours. You can also soak them overnight. Drain the almonds and peel.

2. In a blender, add almonds and 1 1/2 cups water. Blend for 1-2 minutes until its really well blended and the almonds are very fine. Don't worry if you need to add a little more water, you can gently cook this off later.

3. In a medium saucepan add almond paste, sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Over medium heat, bring to a boil and then turn heat to low and simmer gently for 20 minutes. The sharbat will be thick, creamy and should coat the back of a spoon. It made need a few stirs just to make sure it does not burn. It will be pretty thick. Let the almond mixture cool. You can also keep it in the refrigerator to use later. It should keep for 3 to 4 days.

4. Mix 1 cup almond mixture with 2 cups milk and add rosewater. A little bit of rosewater goes a long way. Whisk until frothy and blended. Sprinkle a few strands of saffron and sliced almonds on top. Serve over ice.