Kesar Pista Chia Pudding
Creamy no-cook kesar pista chia pudding with bloomed saffron, green cardamom, and a pistachio paste stirred right into the base. A make-ahead Indian-inspired breakfast or light dessert that sets overnight in the fridge.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Small blender
- Jars or airtight containers
Ingredients
For the base
- 6 tablespoons chia seeds about 60 g
- 2 cups milk of choice whole dairy, or unsweetened oat or almond milk; divided
- 12-15 saffron strands (kesar)
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios (pista) raw unsalted; divided
- 1/4 teaspoon green cardamom powder or seeds from 4 green cardamom pods, crushed
- 2-3 tablespoons sweetener honey, maple syrup, or fine sugar; to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt tiny pinch; wakes the sweetness
Optional add-ins
- 1/2 teaspoon rose water optional; for a falooda-adjacent note
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder optional; for extra protein, loosen with a splash more milk
For topping
- slivered pistachios reserved from above
- saffron strands a few, for garnish
- honey optional drizzle
Instructions
Bloom the saffron
- Warm 2 tablespoons of the milk gently until just steamy, not boiling. Crumble the saffron strands into the warm milk and steep 10 to 15 minutes, until the milk is tinted gold and fragrant.
Blend and mix the base
- In a small blender, blend about one-third of the pistachios with the bloomed saffron milk until mostly smooth. A few tiny bits are fine.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the remaining cold milk with the sweetener, cardamom, salt, and optional rose water (and protein powder, if using) until dissolved. Whisk in the pistachio-saffron paste, scraping every bit from the blender.
- Add the chia seeds and whisk hard for 30 to 45 seconds. Let sit 5 minutes, then whisk again so no clumps settle at the bottom.
- Stir in about half of the remaining pistachio slivers and reserve the rest for topping.
Chill and serve
- Divide between jars or keep in one covered bowl. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, until thick and spoonable.
- Taste and adjust sweetness. Top with reserved pistachios, a few saffron strands, and an optional drizzle of honey. Serve cold.
Notes
For a spoonable set, use about 3 tablespoons chia per 1 cup liquid. Plant milks may need the higher end of that range.
Toast the pistachios in a dry pan until fragrant for deeper flavor; cool before folding in so they stay crunchy.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add fresh pistachios before serving for crunch.
To make it vegan, use oat or almond milk throughout and swap honey for maple or sugar.
If warming for a hot breakfast, heat gently over low while stirring; avoid a hard boil or the texture can loosen.
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