September 8, 2022

How to Use Badam Pisin

By Prashant Powle • 6 minute read

To use badam pisin, soak a little dry gum in plain water for several hours or overnight until it swells into soft, clear jelly. Rinse it, then stir it into sharbat, rose milk, falooda, smoothies or curd. It adds cooling texture, not flavour.

For what is available now, see dry fruits and nuts collection.

What is badam pisin? (English and Hindi names)

Badam pisin in English is almond gum. In Hindi it is written बादाम पिसिन, and you will also hear badam gond or badam ka gond. It is the dried sap that oozes from the bark of the almond tree. The pieces look like small clear or pale amber crystals. In the dry form the gum is hard, odourless and almost tasteless.

Badam pisin is often sold together with gond katira. The two names are used loosely in shops. Katira is a different gum from another plant, so if you want a specific one, check the name on the pack. Our listing is Gond Katira and Badam Pisin, and the product page shows the current price and pack size.

How to soak badam pisin

Soaking is the one step you must not skip. Dry almond gum does not dissolve. It absorbs water and swells to many times its size, so a small spoonful makes a full bowl of jelly.

Measure small. Start with about half a teaspoon of dry crystals for a glass of drink. You can always soak more next time.
Rinse. Wash the crystals once under running water to remove dust.
Soak in plenty of room. Use a large bowl with at least 10 to 15 times as much plain water, because the gum expands a lot.
Wait. Leave it for several hours or overnight at room temperature. Many people soak it the night before. In hot weather, keep the bowl in the fridge.
Check the texture. The pieces should be soft, translucent and jelly-like. Drain and rinse again.

Use the soaked jelly within a day or two and keep it in the fridge in a clean covered container. Discard it if it smells sour.

Ways to use badam pisin

Because it has almost no flavour, badam pisin takes on the taste of whatever you add it to. It is used mainly for texture and as a traditional cooling ingredient in summer.

Sharbat. Add a spoonful to rose, khus, sabja or lemon sharbat.
Rose milk and cold milk. Stir into chilled milk with a little rose syrup.
Falooda and kulfi. It is a classic part of falooda, along with sabja seeds and vermicelli.
Smoothies and shakes. Blend a small portion in or stir it in at the end.
Curd, oats and kheer. Mix into plain curd or overnight oats, or fold into a chilled kheer.
Warm drinks. Some people add it to warm milk, but it is most often used cold. If you add it to a hot drink, stir gently.

Three simple badam pisin recipes

Badam pisin rose milk

Spoon two tablespoons of soaked, rinsed jelly into a tall glass. Add a tablespoon of rose syrup and pour in cold milk. Stir, add ice if you like and serve.

Badam pisin sharbat

Put soaked pisin in a glass, add cold water, lemon juice, a little sugar or mishri and a few basil seeds that have been soaked separately. Stir and chill for fifteen minutes.

Badam pisin milkshake

Blend a cup of cold milk with a ripe banana or a few dates. Pour into a glass and stir in a spoonful of soaked pisin. You can top it with chopped almonds. For another version, see our almond gum milk recipe.

Common mistakes when using badam pisin

Adding it dry. Dry crystals added straight to a drink stay hard and can be unpleasant to chew. Always soak first.
Using too much. Because it swells so much, one spoon of dry gum is plenty. Too much makes a drink thick and heavy.
Soaking in a small cup. The gum can fill the cup and push out the water. Use a big bowl.
Soaking in milk. Soak in plain water, then add the jelly to milk afterwards.
Keeping soaked jelly too long. Make fresh jelly every day or two.

Badam pisin benefits: what is traditional and what is proven

In Indian households badam pisin is a summer food, taken for its cooling feel. It is also eaten by many people in the hope that it adds strength or helps digestion. These are traditional beliefs. We do not claim that badam pisin treats, cures or prevents any condition, and we are not aware of strong clinical evidence for the common claims.

What can be said with confidence is simpler. Almond gum is made mostly of plant carbohydrate fibres (polysaccharides). Those fibres hold water, which is why the gum swells and gives drinks a smooth, thick feel. It is a low-calorie way to change the texture of a drink, as long as you do not load the drink with sugar. For benefits aimed at particular groups, see our article on gond katira benefits, and read it with the same caution.

Buying and storing badam pisin

Choose clean, dry pieces that are pale to light amber, with no black specks, dust or damp smell.
Store dry pisin in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place, away from moisture.
Buy a small pack first so you learn how much you really use. A little goes a long way.

You can order from the Gond Katira Badam Pisin product page. We are a FSSAI-licensed seller, and the current price is shown on that page. If you also want almonds for your drinks, see our California almonds.

Who should check with a doctor first

Badam pisin is a food, but it is not for everyone in every amount. If you have diabetes, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a digestive condition, take regular medicines, or are giving it to a child, ask your doctor or dietitian before you add it to your routine. Keep portions small. The gum swells in the gut as well as in the bowl, so drink enough water, and stop if it upsets your stomach. Anyone with a tree nut allergy should avoid it unless a doctor advises otherwise.