Thandai Recipe | Shivratri and Holi Drink
Thandai or Shardai is a traditional and refreshing Indian cold drink made using dry fruits, seeds, aromatic spices, milk, and sugar. This drink is prepared during Indian festivals like Holi and Maha Shivratri in the North Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab. This drink can be prepared in less than 30 minutes!
Servings: 6
Calories: 236kcal
Equipment
- Mixie or Blender
Ingredients
For Thandai Masala or Thandai Powder
- 15 to 18 Almonds or Badam
- 15 Cashews
- 15 to 20 Black peppercorns (Kali mirch)
- 12 to 15 pods Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
- 1 tablespoon Fennel seeds (Saunf)
- 1 tablespoon Poppy seeds (Khas Khas or khus khus)
- 1 ½ tablespoon Watermelon seeds (Magaz)
- 1 ½ tablespoon Dried rose petals
- ⅛ teaspoon Saffron (Kesar)
Thandai Drink
- 4 cups Whole milk
- ½ cup Sugar
- Sliced Pistachios , for garnish
- Rose petals , for garnish
Instructions
Prepare Thandai Masala paste or powder
- Soak almonds or badam overnight or 20 minutes in hot water before you start making thandai.15 to 18 Almonds
- Peel the almonds, add them to the blender or mixie jar along with cashews, peppercorns, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, watermelon seeds, dried rose petals, saffron and blend it to a coarse powder or add 2 or 3 tablespoon of milk and make a smooth paste.15 Cashews , 15 to 20 Black peppercorns, 12 to 15 pods Green Cardamom, 1 tbsp Fennel seeds, 1 tbsp Poppy seeds, 1 ½ tbsp Watermelon seeds, 1 ½ tbsp Dried rose petals, ⅛ tsp Saffron
- Thandai masala is ready.
Prepare Thandai Drink
- Add milk to a heavy bottom pan on medium heat and let it come to a boil. Switch the flame to low, add sugar and thandai masala and whisk it.4 cups Whole milk, ½ cup Sugar
- Let the sugar dissolve completely. Switch off the flame. Let it sit for 60 minutes.
- Cover it and simply refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours or overnight for the best flavors. This allows the milk to get infused with all the flavors even before we strain it.
- Using a sieve or filter, strain the thandai into a pitcher or vessel. Press down the solid masala that is left in the sieve using the back of a spoon to extract all the milk and get the maximum flavors.
- Till you are ready to serve, simply put the thandai back in the refrigerator and chill.
- Thandai is ready. To serve, simply pour thandai in a matka or kullad or serving glass, garnish it with pistachios, saffron and rose petals. Happy holi!!Sliced Pistachios, Rose petals
Notes
- Vary the amount of nuts, spices, and sugar to taste. I have used whole milk and it gives the best result. But feel free to use any skim milk, 2 % milk, etc.
- Poppy seeds are used to get that creamy texture. But if it is not available, substitute it with cashews or skip it.
- Cardamom seeds for their flavor, peppercorns for heat, fennel seeds for cooling effect are commonly used to make the thandai masala powder. You may increase or decrease the spices and adjust depending on how strong flavors you prefer in the drink.
- For a vegan Thandai, simply substitute milk with any dairy-free milk, such as almond, soy, or coconut milk.
- It's always good to soak the nuts, as this helps to get a smoother and softer texture. If you forget to soak them, soak them in hot boiling water for 20 minutes just before making thandai masala powder.
- You can use only almonds, cashews, or a combination of almonds and pistachios.
- Bhang Thandai: Add ½ tablespoon of bhang seed powder along with thandai masala in the recipe.