Haldi Doodh (Golden Turmeric Milk)

Name: Haldi Doodh (Golden Turmeric Milk)
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 11 min
Ingredients: 500 ml milk; 1 tsp turmeric; 10 g fresh ginger, thinly sliced or grated; 1 pinch black pepper; 2 cardamom, lightly crushed; 1 stick cinnamon (optional); 2 tsp jaggery / palm sugar (optional)

Vegetarian

हल्दी दूध · haldi doodh

Warm milk simmered with turmeric, fresh ginger, black pepper and cardamom — a soothing Indian home drink, traditionally taken at bedtime.

Haldi Doodh (Golden Turmeric Milk) is an Indian hot drink, ready in about 11 minutes and made with milk and turmeric. It serves 2 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

Turmeric and saffron milk on a rustic wooden board, garnished with pistachios. — Photo: Shameel mukkath / Pexels · Pexels License

Prep: 3 min
Cook: 8 min
Total: 11 min
Serves: 2
Level: Beginner
Calories: 167

Ingredients

2 cups

500 ml Milk (opens in a new tab)Swap: Soy milk; Almond milk (unsweetened); Coconut milk (Half coconut milk, half water.)Contains milk
1 tsp (3 g) Turmeric (opens in a new tab)Ground; or 2 cm fresh turmeric, grated.
10 g Fresh ginger (opens in a new tab), thinly sliced or grated
1 pinch (0 g) Black pepper (opens in a new tab)
2 (0.5 g) Cardamom (opens in a new tab), lightly crushed
1 stick (3 g) Cinnamon (opens in a new tab) (optional)
2 tsp (9 g) Jaggery / palm sugar (opens in a new tab) (optional)Many families leave it unsweetened.Swap: Honey (Stir in after it cools slightly.)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Put the milk (opens in a new tab), turmeric (opens in a new tab), ginger, black pepper (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab) and cinnamon (opens in a new tab) (if using) in a saucepan (opens in a new tab).
- 1 min
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Bring just to the boil over medium heat, stirring, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes so the spices infuse.
- 7 min
- medium-low heat
3
Step 3
Stir in jaggery if you want it sweet, then strain into cups and drink warm.
- 1 min
- Sieve / strainer (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: India · Well documentedA long-standing household drink across India; the café 'turmeric latte' is a recent offshoot.Also popular in PakistanMore food from India
Dish: Snack · Hot drinks
Cooking method: Simmered
Taste: aromatic / warmly spiced, earthy, creamy, peppery
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-sodium
Without the optional extras: No added sugarWith the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Paleo-style, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with: Milk · Turmeric · Fresh ginger · Cardamom
Techniques: Simmering

Allergens

Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom milk

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

167 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 264 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

Protein 20%
Carbohydrate 35%
Fat 46%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	167 kcal	63 kcal
Protein	8.4 g	3.2 g
Carbohydrate	14.5 g	5.5 g
Net carbohydrate	14 g	5.3 g
Sugars	13.1 g	5 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	0.5 g	0.2 g
Fat	8.5 g	3.2 g
Saturated fat	4.8 g	1.8 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	26 mg	10 mg
Sodium	112 mg	42 mg
Salt equivalent	0.3 g	0.1 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 397 mg
Calcium: 296 mg
Iron: 1 mg
Magnesium: 32 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 118 µg
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: 3.3 µg
Vitamin B12: 1.2 µg
Folate (DFE): 14 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: cinnamon, jaggery / palm sugar.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Turmeric stains — use a steel pan and wipe spills promptly.

Common mistakes

Adding too much turmeric, which turns the drink chalky and bitter; a teaspoon for two cups is plenty.

Storage

Keeps 2 days in the fridge.

Reheating

Reheat gently until steaming; stir well, as the turmeric settles.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & BlendCompare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Milk500 ml · 515 g

Used in step 1

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

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