Basil Seed Pudding- 6 exciting ways
With Ramadan just around the corner, it’s time to stock up on some pantry essentials. Being a Kashmiri, Basil seeds (Babre byol) tops my list of Ramadan essentials. There’s no better drink than a glass of Babre Byol to quench your thirst after a long day of fasting. So refreshing!
So as I placed an order for Basil seeds online, I thought of sharing some ideas incorporating Basil seeds from last year. After Ramadan was over, I used the left-over Basil seeds for making Basil seed puddings- a pretty and healthy breakfast. We all know that Chia seed pudding is a go-to breakfast recipe if you are trying to eat healthy. Well, I experimented and discovered that basil seed pudding comes together the same way and tastes quite similar, except for a slight variation in texture.
Selling points
Basil seeds are low in calories and high in fibre and antioxidants: just what you want if you’re looking from a healthy eating perspective. With other healthy additions, we have truck-loads of potential to turn it into a delicious pudding.
The best thing about basil seed pudding is the flexibility- a variety of unique flavours can be made possible in different combinations, one for each day of the week or even the whole month if you let your creativity go wild. You can use whatever fruits or flavourings you have at hand; puréed mango or strawberry, mashed bananas, dessicated coconut, peanut butter, chocolate or vanilla, just to name a few options. Sometimes adding a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, rose water or salted caramel could give it an extra kick of flavour.
Also, this is a great way to incorporate some extra fruit in kids’ diet.
Taste wise, nothing can beat a cup of nun chai with tchout for breakfast, of course. Which is a valid reason to have this pudding for dessert instead.
Like I said before, this is a flexible recipe. You can add whatever you want, as much as you want. Therefore, I’m not sharing a proper recipe here like I usually do, with measured ingredients and all, but I’m sharing just some ideas below. Work your way around these and you’ll not be disappointed.
1. Simple Basil Seed Pudding
Basil seed pudding is so easy to make. Just mix together two tablespoons of Basil seeds, 1-2 tablespoons yogurt (ideally Greek Yogurt) and about half a cup of milk. Add in some flavour, ideally fresh fruit based or just vanilla extract. Dates or honey can be used to make it sweet, depending on personal preference. Mix very well and leave it in the fridge overnight. Just add some diced fresh fruits in the morning and enjoy! It can be a low-calorie but filling breakfast if you choose the fruits wisely.
2. Kehwa Flavoured Basil Seed Pudding
First things first: by Kehwa, I mean Kashmiri Kong’e Kahw’e. If you are a Kashmiri, you got the idea, right? If not, I’m actually talking about a saffron and cardamom flavour here. In addition to 2 tablespoons of basil seeds, 1 or 2 tablespoons of Yogurt and milk, add some saffron strands (soaked in warm milk preferably) and crushed or powdered cardamom to your pudding before you leave it in the fridge overnight. If you want it sweet, add some honey, dates, artificial sweetener or sugar; whatever you prefer. If you like the flavour of rose water, you may as well add a few drops. A pinch of ground cinnamon or fennel seed powder are other great options. Top your pudding with dry fruits and nuts in the morning and enjoy!
3. Smoothie style Basil Seed Pudding
Take your favourite fruit or combination of fruits and/or berries. For example, mango, mixed berries or banana and strawberry. Blend it together with yogurt to make a smoothie. Mix the smoothie with basil seeds soaked overnight in milk. Add your choicest toppings- dry fruits, fresh fruits, nuts, crunchy granola, etc. and enjoy!
4. Basil Seed Pudding with fruit compote
Fruit compote is a versatile topping for pancakes, waffles, oats/porridge and so, for basil seed pudding as well. Select your favourite fruit in season, cook it in a pan for 8-10 minutes along with some lemon or orange juice. Adding a sweetener is optional.
For this one, I used blueberry compote. I made a simple overnight basil seed pudding and layered it with blueberry fruit compote in the morning. It’s been quite a while since I took this picture and so I don’t remember what else I put in there, but I do remember for sure that it tasted as good as it looks.
5. PB&J Basil Seed Pudding
I admit that I have watched too many American sit-coms and gone from laughing at the combination of peanut butter and jam to making PB&J sandwiches for lunchbox every once in a while. You have to try it to like it; it is one of those things that don’t sound appealing. If you’re already a PB&J sandwich fan, you won’t hesitate to add some peanut butter and jam to your basil seed pudding as well. Check out my Instagram for more ideas.
6. Basil Seed Pudding in a Trifle
Trifle is my go to option for a fancy looking dessert calling for minimal effort. It is all about layering two or three dessert-ish foods at hand- custard, cake, whipped cream, fruits, and so, why not basil seed pudding. For example, a layer of sponge cake moistened with orange juice at the bottom, followed by a layer of basil seed pudding, a layer of fruit chunks, a layer of custard, more fruits, etc. Get layering it all up and the outcome is guaranteed to be impressive.
Note- You can swap Basil seeds for Chia seeds in all of these recipes. It works just the same way. There is a slight difference in texture, but some people, like me, can’t even tell. However, I’m afraid you can’t expect very good results by using Chia seeds instead of Basil seeds in recipes like Falooda and Basil seed drinks .
If you liked this post, do check out some of the other recipes from the blog like Mushy peas/ Masal’e Tchot, Kofta kebabs, Hummus fatteh and Apple Tarte Tatin. Follow me on Instagram and show some love!