Rose milk

Name: Rose milk
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 1 h 8 min
Ingredients: 500 ml milk; 4 tbsp rose syrup; 1 tsp sugar (optional); 1 tsp sweet basil seeds (sabja), soaked 15 minutes in 3 tbsp water (optional); 100 g ice (optional)

Vegetarian

Cold milk stirred with rose syrup until pale pink: a sweet, fragrant summer drink sold at juice shops and beach stalls across Tamil Nadu.

Rose milk is an Indian cold drink, ready in about 1 hour 8 minutes and made with milk and rose syrup. It serves 2 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 3 min
Cook: 5 min
Rest: 1 h
Total: 1 h 8 min
Serves: 2
Level: Beginner
Calories: 260

Ingredients

2 glasses

500 ml Milk (opens in a new tab)Swap: Almond milk (unsweetened); Soy milkContains milk
4 tbsp (77 g) Rose syrup (opens in a new tab)
1 tsp (4 g) Sugar (opens in a new tab) (optional)
1 tsp (3 g) Sweet basil seeds (sabja) (opens in a new tab), soaked 15 minutes in 3 tbsp water (optional)
100 g Ice (opens in a new tab) (optional)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Bring the milk (opens in a new tab) to the boil, then cool it and chill for at least 1 hour.
- 5 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Stir the rose syrup (opens in a new tab) (and sugar (opens in a new tab), if you like it sweeter) into the cold milk (opens in a new tab) until evenly pink.
- 1 min
- Measuring jug (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Spoon the soaked basil seeds (opens in a new tab) into glasses if using, pour over the rose milk (opens in a new tab) and serve cold, over ice if you like.
- 1 min
Food safety: Use only fully soaked basil seeds.

About this dish

Origin: Tamil Nadu, India · Commonly attributedAlso popular in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, SingaporeMore food from India
Dish: Snack · Cold drinks
Cooking method: Boiled, No-cook
Taste: sweet, aromatic / warmly spiced, creamy, refreshing
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Child-friendly · Make-ahead · Street food
Cook more with: Milk · Rose syrup
Techniques: Boiling

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

260 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 296 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

Protein 12%
Carbohydrate 59%
Fat 29%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	260 kcal	88 kcal
Protein	8.1 g	2.7 g
Carbohydrate	38.1 g	12.9 g
Net carbohydrate	38.1 g	12.9 g
Sugars	30.9 g	10.4 g
Added sugars	25 g	8.4 g
Fibre	0 g	0 g
Fat	8.4 g	2.8 g
Saturated fat	4.8 g	1.6 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	26 mg	9 mg
Sodium	121 mg	41 mg
Salt equivalent	0.3 g	0.1 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 351 mg
Calcium: 293 mg
Iron: 0.1 mg
Magnesium: 27 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 118 µg
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: 3.3 µg
Vitamin B12: 1.2 µg
Folate (DFE): 13 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: sugar, sweet basil seeds (sabja), ice.
Rose syrup: Grenadine syrup (FDC 168088) used as a stand-in for a similar sugar syrup flavoured with rose; brands vary (some add fruit or vegetable extracts).
“—” 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

Pour the milk back and forth between two jugs for a frothy top.

Common mistakes

Adding rose syrup to hot milk, which can curdle it slightly and dulls the colour; chill the milk first.

Storage

Keeps 1 day in the fridge.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 29 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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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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