Skip to main content

Perfumed Almonds

Almonds are considered brain food in India. They were always given to us in the morning, especially before exams, after they had been soaked overnight and then peeled. Each one of us got seven almonds—don’t ask me why. So here is a delicious, lightly perfumed morning dose for two people. The soaking makes them taste a bit like green almonds. The perfume is an added bonus. You may serve them with drinks. I often offer dinner guests a few of these almonds just before I serve dessert and coffee.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    14 almonds

Ingredients

14 whole almonds with skin
5 cardamom pods
1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation

  1. Put the almonds, cardamom pods, and sugar in a small bowl. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the top, stir, and leave to soak for 12 hours. Refrigerate if leaving longer. Remove from the water, peel, and serve.

Image may contain: Human, Person, Madhur Jaffrey, and Plant
Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the full book from Amazon.
Read More
Crisp, buttery shell. Soft, flaky center. Cry!
Known as okayu, this Japanese comfort food will warm you from the inside out.
This isn’t competing with a brownie. It’s in a class of its own.
A few clever changes take classic Rice Krispies Treats to soaring new heights.
A fancy-feeling dish that comes together in 20 minutes.
Canned pumpkin, you shouldn’t have!
A fam-favorite, 30-minute dinner we have on repeat.
Fall dreams are made of this. Who are we to disagree?