Tiger nut milk aka Horchata de chufa

After returning from my trip to Madrid, and trying a horchata there, I was really keen to try and make the delicious and healthy tiger nut milk (Horchata de chufa) at home. Looking forward to the challenge but also fearing it, it’s actually not too complicated to make requiring only two ingredients.

Benefits of tiger nuts

Not only is tiger nut milk a great option for anyone on a gluten-free diet, it’s also dairy-free, vegan and allergen-free (as apparently tiger nuts are not actually nuts but underground ‘tubers’ that are actually formed by a grass, also known as earth almonds and yellow nutsedge). Low in calories, full of fibre, rich in vitamins and minerals, they are also a natural source of pre-biotics which enhance the healthy gut flora in the intestines being essential for the digestive system. The flavour falls somewhere between almond and coconut, good in coffee too, so I totally recommend giving tiger nuts a chance.

What about tiger nut leftover pulp?

The leftover tiger nut pulp can be made into flour by dehydrating it at 50-60°C in the oven. Lay it flat on a baking sheet as it may take a while to dry but make sure you don’t burn it. It can be used in a variety of bakes working similarly to almond flour.

Alternatively, if you leave it wet, it can be blended into smoothies or mixed into porridges.

Tiger nut milk aka Horchata de chufa

Cuisine: SpainDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

6

hours 

Calories per serving

100

kcal

This homemade creamy tiger nut milk is a fantastic alternative to dairy and non-allergen friendly milks/milk drinks containing zero added added ingredients, only the healthy tiger nuts and water.

Ingredients

• approx. 200 ml/200 g tiger nuts

• 800 ml filtered water

Directions

• Soaking the tiger nuts for six hours or overnight just by covering them with enough space to swell slightly. This will make them easier to blend. After soaking and draining, they look just slightly bigger as below.
• Add the soaked and drained tiger nuts into a high-speed processor/blender. Blend down to rough pieces.
• Add the water and blend again till creamy and smooth. This usually takes between 2-3 minutes.
• Pour the liquid into a bowl through a nut milk bag. Squeeze the nut milk bag to get all the milky liquid out. Then pour into a glass bottle. I used a fine-mesh sieve by pressing out the leftover tiger nut pulp with a spoon to drain the liquid.
• Drink straight away or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Recipe Video

Notes

• Don’t discard the water used for soaking the nuts, use it for watering plants.
• Shake the bottle well before using.
• The milk can be stored in a glass bottle in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• You can also freeze the milk for up to 1 month.