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Tiger Nut Milk: Health Benefits, Nutrition & How to Make It

Do you know about tiger nuts? And ever wondered what benefits tiger nuts have? Well, if these two questions have left you stumped, you might want to read this post. Tiger nuts, and especially tiger nut milk, provides you with a healthy dose of antioxidants and is extremely simple to make.

What other benefits does it have? Read on and find out.

What Is Tiger Nut?

Tiger nuts aren’t really nuts; they are tubers that grow under the soil’s surface. Also known as yellow nutsedge, tiger nutsedge or earth almond, tiger nuts have been used for many centuries and remain extremely popular all over the western hemisphere. Archeologists conclude that evidence hints at this food being used in the Paleolithic era (1).

Tiger Nut Milk:

Tiger nut has many uses in traditional African and Spanish cuisine. Tiger nut milk is also known as ‘kunnu aya’ in Nigeria, and is extremely popular and highly nutritious. Preparing tiger nut milk is very easy, and all you need are some tiger nuts and water. You can use additional spices or sweeteners like honey or jaggery to augment the taste of tiger nut milk.

Tiger nuts have medicinal properties, and tiger nut milk also boasts of many health benefits, including:

1. Nutrient Rich:

Tiger nut milk is rich in many essential nutrients like nuts, and the presence of monounsaturated fat makes it a complete package for providing the body with essential nutrients. Tiger nuts contain high amounts of iron, magnesium, phosphorous, calcium and potassium. They are also good sources of vitamins C and E.

2. Non-Inflammatory:

Tiger nut doesn’t contain omega-6 fatty acids, whose high ratio with omega-3 fatty acids in other nuts might lead to inflammatory conditions (2). Tiger nut milk is thus better and safer to consume than other nut-based milks and offers similar levels of essential nutrients.

3. Rich In MUFA:

Tiger nut milk is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids or MUFAs. This makes it an excellent anti-diabetic agent, as MUFA diets boost glycemic tolerance (3).

4. Boosts ‘Good’ (HDL) Cholesterol:

Tiger nuts contain a fair amount of oleic acid. Oleic acid is a MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid) that helps increase your body’s HDL cholesterol (4).

5. Digestion:

Tiger nuts have many nutritional and health benefits, which make them an amazing food for anyone. Traditionally, tiger nuts were used to treat stomach upsets, irritable bowels, and other digestive issues. They have been used in folk medicine as a remedy for many ailments, including flatulence and diarrhea (5).

6. Probiotics:

Tiger nut milk is a good source of probiotics (gut healthy bacteria that aid digestion; usually found in curd).

7. Creamy Flavor:

Tiger nut milk is quite creamy and offers a slick, smooth, nutty and rich flavor.

How To Make Tiger Nut Milk:

Now that you know what Tiger nut milk is and what benefits it offers, let’s take a look at how to make this amazing delicious and supremely healthy milk.

Ingredients:

  • One cup of tiger nuts (soaked for 24-48 hours)
  • A glass of water
  • Strainer
  • Cardamom/Cinnamon
  • Jaggery or honey

Directions:

  1. Soak the tiger nuts in a bowl of water and cover the bowl with a cloth.
  2. Let it stand for around 1-2 days.
  3. Remove the cloth and add the nuts to a blender.
  4. Add the spices and the sweetener of your choice to the blender.
  5. Blend the nuts well until the mixture becomes thick and smooth.
  6. Now using a strainer, strain the tiger nut milk into a serving glass.
  7. Your tiger nut milk is ready to drink.

So, try this tiger nut milk recipe at home and tell us about your own experiences. If you have used tiger nut milk, please share your experiences with fellow readers here. Leave a comment below.