Thandai is a South Indian Drink enjoyed by many over Holi and Maha Shivratri however I like it all year around. It is an aromatic milk drink made with all the nuts, seeds and spices including saffron and rose. This is how I make my Thandai Recipe. I start by making the Thandai powder aka Thandai masala.
What is Thandai
Thandai is sometimes referred to as ‘shardai‘ or ‘sardai. Thandi in Hindi translates to cold and that is where the name came from because it is a cooling drink. In India Holi season is their summer and it is hot! Thandai is a cooling drink.
It is rich in nutrients and brilliant for boosting energy when fasting.
I have been bought up with it and it is one I love. This is like Badam Doodh (Almond Milk) many Indian households grew up with but much more flavourful. Homemade Thandai is always better than shop bought because you know what goes in and you can control the sugar level.
Thandai has many layers of flavours including
- A creamy nutty taste from the almonds and cashews
- Warm flavours from the cardamom and saffron
- Slight heat from the black pepper
- Touch of floral from the rose petals
Benefits of Homemade Thandai Recipe
Homemade Thandai has several benefits. Making it at home means the best ingredients go in and there are no preservatives or added sugars and flavourings.
- Thandai helps cool down the body. Fennel, Melon and Rose petals are known to have cooling properties. It is great for hydrating yourself. I remember it tasting so nice after having a couple of fun playing Holi.
- Thandai is rich in nutrients. All the nuts and spices in the drink are good for protein and have other vitamins in them. Nuts are a good source of healthy fat too
- Thandai helps boost energy and aid digestion. This is from the poppy and melon seeds
What is Thandai made of
Thandai is a special blend of ingredients below. You can view these ingredients on my Amazon shop ( affiliate link)
- almonds (badam)
- cashews (kaju)
- pistachios (pista)
- edible rose petals
- fennel seeds (saunf)
- melon seeds (magaj)
- white poppy seeds (khus khus)
- whole cardamom pods (Elaichi)
- black peppercorns (mari)
- saffron
- cinnamon stick (tuj)
Some people like to soak the ingredients before blitzing them. This forms more of a paste. I prefer the dry version.
How to make Thandai Masala
It is simple. Gather all your ingredients and toast them to release the oils and aromas. Toast them on low heat to avoid burning them.
Let them cool and then blitz in batches to form a sand like mixture. Thats it!
Can I swap ingredients for Thandai Masala
As a rule of thumb, the ingredients above are what make Thandai so rich in nutrients. You can skip some if you do not have them however the flavour changes. It will still taste delicious. I have never tried a nut free version.
Storing Thandai Masala
The Thandai powder can be made before hand and stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 1 month.
What to serve with Thandai Masala
Thandai powder (masala) can be added to milk, kheer (rice pudding) , yoghurt and cakes. like to use any leftover masala for sprinkling on top of oatmeal or adding to smoothies
I remember my dad used to have a special version called Bhang in Kenya. This is the above drink infused with Cannibis. I have not heard of it served like this in the UK but in India there are places that have it.
To make Thandai with the Thandai powder just To make the drink, to a glass of milk add 2 heaped tablespoon of the powder and some sugar to taste. Mix this and let the flavours infuse for 2 hours in the fridge. Alternatively you can heat the mixture then let it cool down. If you like floral aromas, you can add some rose essence too. Also though not a traditional ingredient, vanilla essence tastes nice in Thandai.
Thandai Recipe (Thandai Masala)
Ingredients
Thandai Powder /Thandai Masala
- ½ cup almonds badam
- ½ cup cashews kaju
- ¼ cup pistachios pista
- 1 tbsp dried edible rose petals
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds saunf
- 2 tbsp melon seeds magaj
- 2 tbsp white poppy seeds khus khus
- 25 green whole cardamom pods Elaichi
- 25 black peppercorns mari
- ¼ tsp saffron
- 1 long cinnamon stick tuj
Thandai Drink
- Milk
- Sweetner sugar, honey
- Rose essence optional
Instructions
Thandai Masala Instructions
- On low heat roast all the nuts, seeds and spices for about 10 minutes. You will start to smell all the spices. This helps to release all the oils and get the maximum flavour.
- Let this cool totally then blitz bit by bit. You want to do this in stages, so you get uniform texture. Ensure you pulse it and keep checking the mixture, so it doesn’t turn into butter. You don’t need it to be as smooth as powder. A course sandy texture is fine.
- Place the thandai masala in an airtight container and use within a month
Thandai Instructions (the drink)
- To make Thandai, to a glass of milk add 1-2 heaped tablespoon of the powder and sweetener of your choice. I like demerara sugar. Honey would work too.
- Mix this and let the flavours infuse for at least 2 hours in the fridge. If you like the taste of rose you can add some rose essence to this mix
- If you are in a hurry you can heat the milk and thandai masala in a pan to let the ingredients and flavours infuse then let it cool down before enjoying.
If you love dairy recipes, you can try another South Asian classic beverage. This refreshing homemade mango lassi is perfect for those warm summer days.
