Holi Special Thandai Cool Beverage

Thandai

Thandai is a refreshing Indian beverage made with saffron, nuts, rose water, peppercorn, fennel seeds, cardamom, and peppercorns. Some versions of an easy thandai recipe also contain poppy seeds. While you can find thandai at Indian grocery stores, it is best to learn how to make thandai at home since the homemade version is filled with more complex flavors.

Thandai is also known as a holi drink. Holi, which is a festival of colors, is a celebration in India that marks the end of winter and the beginning of summer. Many Indian households prepare a thandai recipe during Holi to lower the temperature of the body which makes it easier to withstand the intense heat of summer. Another dish that is often prepared during Holi is Gujiya, a sweet dumpling made with dried milk. These tasty pastries can be enjoyed with thandai for a delicious summer snack.

Here are some interesting facts about thandai and a few tips for preparing the best thandai recipe.

What is Thandai?

A thandai drink, also known as Shardai, is a cooling beverage enjoyed in the summer. A thandai recipe is always served during Holi festival and Mahashivratri. During Holi, bhang is added to the thandai recipe. Bhang is the flower heads and leaves of the cannabis plant. A small amount of this ingredient is added to provide a calming effect but the amount is so small that it is safe to give to children.

Thandai is prepared with several nuts and spices and its name means “cooling” in Hindi which makes it the perfect summer drink. Almonds, peppercorns, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, cardamom, saffron, and rose water all add distinct flavors to the thandai recipe and give this beverage unforgettable in terms of flavor and texture.

Making Thandai

To make delicious thandai, you have to create a paste of peppercorns, poppy seeds, almonds, fennel seeds, cardamom, and watermelon seeds. This mixture of nuts and spices is combined with milk with saffron, sugar, and rose water.

Once you get to the step in the thandai recipe where you’ve mixed the spice-nut mixture with the milk, set the mixture aside for about an hour. This gives the milk time to soak in all the flavors. Eventually, you’ll strain the thandai mixture, which is why it’s important for the milk to be as flavorful as possible.

You should use whole milk to make thandai to enhance the taste and enhance the texture. If you’re trying to make the drink healthier, you can use skim or fat-free milk instead. Adjust the amount of spices and sugar you use in the thandai recipe according to your taste. If you prefer your thandai with a stronger flavor, you can add more peppercorns to make the beverage a little spicier or more fennel so the thandai will have more of a cooling effect.

Thandai can be served at room temperature, but it tastes best when it has chilled for at least a few hours. You can make this recipe ahead of time which is great if you’re planning a Holi celebration with family and friends.

Preparation Method for Thandai

The first step in the thandai recipe is to blanch the almonds. You can soak the almonds overnight or in warm water for about 20 minutes. Peel the skin from the almonds; it should come off easily.

Place the balanced almonds in a blender with the fennel seeds, peppercorns, watermelon seeds, poppy seeds, and cardamom pods. Grind these ingredients into a paste. You can add a little milk if necessary to form a paste. This mixture is known as the thandai masala. Once the ingredients form a paste, set the paste aside.

Add honey and milk to the bottom of a pan and turn the pan on medium heat. Stir often and allow the mixture to come to a slight boil.

While the milk is warming up, remove about three tablespoons of the milk from the pan and place it in a small bowl. Crush the saffron with your fingers and add it to the milk in the bowl. Let the milk and saffron sit until the milk turns a golden yellow color.

When the milk in the pan starts boiling, turn the heat down and add the thandai masala. Whisk the mixture to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated. Add the sugar and mix until the mixture is completely dissolved. Turn off the heat.

Add the milk and saffron mixture to the pan and stir. Allow the thandai to sit for about half an hour. After the mixture sits for 30 minutes, add the rose water and stir. Allow the thandai to sit for another 30-60 minutes. This step is essential to ensure the milk takes in all the flavor of the spices.

Now it’s time to strain the thandai. Use a sieve to strain the mixture into a pitcher. Presse the thandai masala that settles in the sieve with the back of a spoon while you’re straining it to get all the flavor from the masala and transfer it into the milk.

Transfer the thandai into a pitcher and place it in the refrigerator for at least five hours (preferably overnight). When you’re ready to serve, pour the thandai into a glass and garnish it with sliced almonds, chopped pistachios, saffron, and rose petals.

Thandai Ingredient List

Here are all the ingredients you need to make thandai:

To make the thandai masala, you need:

• 35-40 blanched almonds

• 20 whole black peppercorns

• 4 teaspoons of fennel seeds

• 4 teaspoons of poppy seeds

• 2 tablespoons of watermelon seeds

• 15-20 green cardamom pods

To make the thandai, you need:

• 1 liter of whole milk (about 4 cups)

• half a cup (100 grams) of sugar, or to taste

• 2-3 tablespoons of rose water

• a few strands of saffron

• sliced nuts for garnish

• rose petals for garnish

Health Benefits of Thandai

Aside from thandai being delicious and complex in flavor, this summer beverage is packed with a number of healthy ingredients.

The almonds, cashews, watermelon seeds, and pistachios provide thandai with energy and protein so you may feel more invigorated after having a cup or two.

The cardamom, peppercorn, nutmeg, and cinnamon help to boost yor immunity. These ingredients can also decrese inflammation in the body and make you feel more nourished after a meal. These ingredients are also ideal for fighting infectionin the body. Cinnamon also has the ability to lower glucose levels to help prevent fatigue after eating.

The rose petals, saffron, and fennel seeds have a cooling effect on the body, which is why the thandai is such a delicious summer treat.

The poppy seeds in thandai aid in digestion and cardamom detoxifies the body.

These are just a few of the reasons that thandai can help you stay healthy during the summer season.

Additional Notes

It is best to serve thandai chilled. You can chill the beverage for up to five hours before serving it, but thandai will taste best if you chill it overnight. You can prepare the beverage a few days ahead of time; keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve the thandai. To make sure the beverage is cold before serving, add a few ice cubes to the drink.

It is the perfect drink to serve for the Holi festival. You can also serve it for other festive occasions and special days.

You can serve thandai with tasty snacks like a cornflakes mixture, aloo tikki chaat, papdi chaat, or corn cheese balls.

You can store thandai if you and your guests don’t consume the entire pithcer in one sitting. The beverage will remain fresh for up to four days if you store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

This drink is also vegetarian and gluten-free so it’s ideal if you’re serving thandai at a celebration for friends and loved ones who have dietary restrictions.

Enjoy!

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