Anjeer milk: benefits, recipe and the best time to drink it

Anjeer milk is simply milk simmered with two or three dried figs. The figs sweeten it naturally, so you need no sugar, and they add fibre and minerals that plain milk lacks. It is an old Indian home habit, usually taken at night, and it takes about 10 minutes to make.

What you need

• 2 Jumbo anjeer (about 40 g)
• 200 ml milk (one glass)
• Optional: 2–3 almonds, a pinch of cardamom or 2–3 strands of saffron

How to make anjeer milk

1. Soak: rinse the figs and soak them in a little warm water for 2 hours, or overnight if you are making it in the morning. Soaking softens the skin so the figs blend smoothly.
2. Chop: cut off the hard stem tip and chop the figs into small pieces.
3. Simmer: bring the milk to a boil, add the chopped figs and simmer on low heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring so it does not stick.
4. Blend (optional): for a smooth drink, cool it slightly and blend for 20 seconds. Add cardamom or saffron at the end.
5. Drink warm. Do not add sugar; taste it first. The figs are sweet enough for most people.

What a glass actually gives you

Two Jumbo anjeer add roughly the following to your glass of milk, based on USDA values for dried figs:

The milk itself supplies protein and most of the calcium. The figs add what milk does not have: fibre, which helps digestion, plus potassium and magnesium. If you are curious about the full numbers, see our anjeer nutrition guide.

The best time to drink it

At night, about an hour before bed, is the traditional choice, and a warm, mildly sweet drink is a comfortable end to the day. There is no strong research showing anjeer milk improves sleep, so treat it as a pleasant habit rather than a sleep remedy.

In the morning, with breakfast, works just as well, especially for children or anyone who wants a filling start. Whichever you choose, count the figs in your milk as part of your day's anjeer, not on top of it. Most people do well with 2–3 anjeer a day in total.

Who should be careful

• Lactose intolerance: use lactose-free milk, or try oat or almond milk; the figs work the same way.
• Diabetes: figs and milk both contain sugar. Keep it to one or two figs and have it with a meal. Our guide to anjeer and diabetes explains portions.
• Watching your weight: a glass with whole milk and two figs is a small meal. Use toned milk if calories matter; see anjeer for weight loss.
• Young children: blend the figs fully so there are no chewy pieces. See anjeer for kids.

Three easy variations

• Anjeer badam milk: add 4 soaked, peeled almonds before blending.
• Cold anjeer shake: blend 3 soaked figs with chilled milk and half a banana. More ideas in our anjeer recipes.
• Plant-based: blend soaked figs into oat milk and warm gently; do not boil oat milk hard or it thickens.

Soft figs make smoother milk. Our Jumbo anjeer 500 g is size-graded and never sulphured, and one pack makes about 12 glasses.