Fresh Turmeric Golden Milk with a Make-Ahead Spice Paste

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A café-style turmeric latte built on a small batch of toasted spice paste — fresh turmeric and ginger simmered with cinnamon, cardamom, cracked black pepper and a spoon of coconut oil so the curcumin actually tastes like something. Stir two spoonfuls into hot milk and you get a glossy, deeply gold cup with real warmth on the finish instead of the chalky, dusty version. The paste keeps two weeks in the fridge, so weeknight cups take four minutes.

Ingredients

• 3 inch fresh turmeric root, peeled and roughly chopped (or 2 tsp ground turmeric)
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
• 4 green cardamom pods, cracked open
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pinch fine sea salt

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk (or unsweetened oat milk)
• 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, well shaken
• 2 tbsp golden spice paste, from above
• 2 tsp honey or maple syrup, to taste
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• ground cinnamon and cracked pepper, for dusting

Instructions

1. Make the paste: warm the coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cracked peppercorns, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and toast, swirling constantly, for 60 to 90 seconds — until the cardamom smells sweet and floral. Do not let the pepper smoke.
2. Add the chopped turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, salt and water. Bring to a bare simmer and cook uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, until the roots are fork-tender and the liquid has reduced by about half.
3. Fish out the cinnamon stick and cardamom pod husks (leave the seeds). Scrape everything else into a small blender or a tall jar and blend with an immersion blender for 45 seconds, until you have a smooth, bright orange paste. If it seizes up, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. Cool and refrigerate in a small jar for up to 2 weeks. If using ground turmeric instead of fresh, toast it with the whole spices for only 20 seconds, then simmer 5 minutes and skip the blending — just whisk smooth.
4. Make the drink: combine the whole milk, coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of the spice paste in a small saucepan. Whisk over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until steaming and just barely trembling at the edges — about 160°F. Do not boil, or the coconut milk will separate and the pepper will turn harsh.
5. Off the heat, whisk in the honey and vanilla. Taste and adjust sweetness; the paste should read warm and slightly spicy, not bitter.
6. Froth it: blend the hot mixture in a blender for 15 seconds (lid vented), or work an immersion blender or handheld milk frother in the pan for 20 seconds until a light foam builds. Pour into two warmed mugs, dust with ground cinnamon and a few grains of cracked pepper, and drink hot.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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