Tiger Nut Drink is a crunchy snack that dates as far back as 4000 BC. They are still sold and consumed in large quantities all over the world. It’s also known as chufa or Horchata. Nigerians will quickly recognize it by the name, aki Hausa or Hausa groundnut. It can be consumed fresh, dried or crushed. It can also be turned into milk since the extract looks like one. It is healthy and offers so many health benefits.
Tiger Nut Drink | Health benefits of Tiger Nut milk
- Milk from this nut is nutritious, does not contain lactose, is rich in calcium and other nutrients.
- These small nuts contain a large number of minerals useful and necessary for the human body. Vitamins C and E, acting as antioxidants, help to fight free radicals.
- Reduces cholesterol.
- This milk (if you do not add sugar) contains fewer calories than any carbonated drink but perfectly quenches thirst.
- The presence of carbohydrates makes it a tasty and a healthy source of energy.
- Tiger nut milk has a mild diuretic effect and prevents diarrhea.
- Tiger nuts are an ideal choice for people with heart diseases and diabetes, as they contain a large amount of fiber, fatty acids, and vitamins.
- The tiger nuts can be an excellent source of replenishing nutrients for vegetarians, during fasting.
Preparing this drink at home is not only healthy but safe as well. At least you will decide what goes in and in what quantity. The tiger drinks bottled and sold in stores can contain a lot of sugar and other little useful, and sometimes not very harmless, ingredients. So, we have described 3 recipes you can follow to prepare your tiger nut milk drink at home.
1) Tiger Nut drink with dates and coconut
For preparation you’ll need:
- A glass of tiger nuts
- Dates
- Coconut milk (can be replaced with coconut chips or pulp)
- Ground cinnamon (optional, may be changed with any other sweet spice)
Method of preparation:
- Peel the nuts and soak them in water for some time.
- Put the tiger nuts into a blender. Add dates (without the seeds) and coconut milk. Mix at high speed until smooth.
- Carefully pour the mixed nuts through a sieve. Squeeze the remaining liquid.
- If you get too thick structure or there is not the right amount of milk, you can add boiled water and mix well. Experiment with proportions to achieve perfect taste.
- Cool it down, then pour into a bottle or jar and store in the refrigerator for no more than one week.
You can serve the drink with ice and sprinkle with cinnamon.
2) Tiger Nut drink with cinnamon
For preparation you’ll need:
- 230-240 grams of nuts
- 1 litre of purified water
- 1 stick of cinnamon (optional)
- 100 grams of nutmeg
- Natural sugar, either, palm or coconut sugar (optional)
Method of preparation:
- Peel the tiger nuts thoroughly, rubbing them between your hands while washing in clean water.
- Crack the nutmeg shell, peel it away and grate its seeds.
- Place the nuts and a cinnamon stick in a bowl and pour in warm water. Leave it for about 12-24 hours (until nuts soften).
- Put the mix into a blender including the water it was soaked in.
- Blend until they form a smooth paste, adding extra water, if necessary.
- Cool the resulting paste for an hour, if you want to use it in this form.
- For the preparation of milk, filter the liquid to get rid of the pulp.
- Cool in the refrigerator and you can drink readily
3) Tiger nut milk with lemon zest
To prepare it you will need:
- 250 grams of tiger nuts
- 200 grams of sugar (it is better to take natural)
- 5 liters of water
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- Lemon peel
Method of preparation:
- Milk is prepared as in the first recipe. First, the nuts must be soaked in warm water and left until they swell.
- Grind them in a blender, adding a little water (about 0.5 liters) and lemon zest.
- When a pasty mixture is formed, add the rest of the water, add sugar and cinnamon.
- Filter from the pulp to get your milk.
- Bottle and put in the refrigerator.