Complete Tragacanth Gum Cooler Recipe
This recipe yields a beautifully layered, creamy, and aromatic summer drink. It is designed to be easily accessible for the American home cook, using standard US measurements.
Prep time: 10 minutes Soaking time: 8 hours (overnight) Total time: 8 hours 10 minutes Servings: 2 large coolers
Ingredients
For the Gel Base:
- 1 tablespoon dry tragacanth gum
- 2 cups filtered water (for soaking)
For the Basil Seeds (Optional):
- 1 teaspoon sweet basil seeds (or substitute chia seeds)
- ½ cup water (for soaking)
For the Drink:
- 2 cups cold whole milk (or almond milk, oat milk, or 2% milk)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, maple syrup, or honey (adjust to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon culinary rose water (optional)
- 1 tablespoon slivered almonds
- 1 tablespoon crushed pistachios
- A few strands of saffron (optional)
- Ice cubes
Step-by-Step Preparation
Step 1: Hydrate the Ingredients (Do Ahead) The night before you plan to serve the drinks, place the dry tragacanth gum into a large bowl and cover with 2 cups of water. Cover the bowl and leave it on the counter overnight. If using basil seeds, place them in a small bowl with ½ cup of water and let them soak for about 15 to 30 minutes until they develop a gel-like coating (this can be done right before making the drink).
Step 2: Sweeten and Flavor the Milk In a pitcher, combine the cold milk, your sweetener of choice, ground cardamom, and rose water. If you are using saffron, you can warm a tablespoon of the milk, steep the saffron in it for 5 minutes, and then mix it back into the cold milk pitcher. Stir the mixture vigorously until the sweetener is completely dissolved.