Thandai is one of the traditional drinks during Holi that is adored by Indians for its nostalgic significance and cultural value. Made with milk, dry fruits and sweeteners, it is considered a vibrant drink and aids in refreshing energy while also improving digestion. One can also avoid sugar in it by replacing it with natural alternatives such as pure honey which may be source based, as it has sweet, aromatic & fruity notes which makes our recipes tastier. Here are some easy recipes shared by chefs that can make your Holi special.
1. Rose Honey Thandai Recipe: (By Chef Kunal Kapur, Saffola Foods)
Ingredients:
- 1 ltr full fat Milk
- Honey
- 1/4 cup-soaked Cashews
- 1/4 cup-soaked Almonds
- 1/4 cup soaked Pistas
- 10 soaked Cardamom
- 10 soaked Peppercorn
- 2 tbsp-soaked Watermelon Seeds/magaj
- 1/2 tbsp-soaked Fennel Seeds
- 2 tbsp-soaked Poppy Seeds/khuskhus
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder
- 1 tbsp Rose Petals
- Soaked Saffron, a generous pinch
- A few Ice cubes
Method:
- Keep all the dry fruits overnight in a bowl of water and soak them well before blending.
- Add cashew nuts, almond, pistachio, cardamom, peppercorn, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, watermelon seeds, cinnamon powder, saffron along with 2-3 tbsp warm milk or water into a blender and mix them into a smooth paste.
- Boil some milk in a deep non-stick pan.
- When the milk reaches a boiling point, add the ground paste from the blender, mix them together and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into a jar and store in the refrigerator.
- Take out the mixture when it is nicely chilled, add honey to it for sweetness.
- Garnish with some pistachio and rose petal and serve.
2. Kesar and Honey Thandai (By Chef Kunal Kapur, Saffola Foods)
Ingredients
- 1 ltr Milk
- 1/4 spoon Thandai powder
- Saffron as required
- Honey for sweetness
- Saffron strands for garnishing
Method:
- First, add milk to a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Stir in between and bring to a gentle boil.
- While the milk is getting heated up, take 2 to 3 tbsp of the hot milk from the pan and transfer to a small bowl. Crush saffron strands between your fingers and add it to the hot milk in the pan. Let it sit until it gets a nice yellow color.
- Once the milk has reached a boiling point, reduce the heat and add the thandai masala.
- Add the saffron-milk mixture to the pan and stir. Let the thandai sit for 30 minutes. This allows the milk to absorb all spices' tastes before straining it.
- Once the milk absorbs all the flavors, turn off the gas. Then add honey to it as per your taste.
- Pour thandai into glasses and garnish with saffron strands and serve chilled!
3. Paan Thandai (By Chef Kunal Kapur, Saffola Foods)
Ingredients
- 2 ltr Milk
- 400 gm Honey to taste
For green masala (soaked overnight in milk)
- 100 gm Almond/ badam
- 100 gm Cashew
- 100 gm Pistachio
- 100 gm Melon seeds
- 2 tbs Fennel seeds / powder
- 2 tsp Poppy seeds
For dry masala
- 1 tsp Black pepper powder
- 1 tsp White pepper powder
- 1/2 tsp Cardamon powder
- 1 Tbs long Pepper mill / Pippali Mool / Ganthoda powder
- 2 tbs Gulkand
- 8-9 strands of saffron
Other
- 2 Betel leaves (crushed into hand grinder)
- Fresh Rose petals
- 2 tbs Rose syrup
Method:
- Soak all green masala ingredients overnight in milk. Put it into the fridge.
- Take a deep pan and boil the refrigerated milk for 15 minutes.
- Make a smooth paste of green masala and add the green masala into milk. Mix it well for 3-4 minutes.
- After adding the green masala, don't boil too long to keep the dry fruits from releasing oils. Let it cool down completely.
- Now add dry masala to the milk and mix it well.
- Let the mixture cool completely. Take it out and add honey as per your taste. Then again put into fridge for 2-3 hrs.
- Now add betel leaves, rose syrup and rose petals into the thandai mix. Put thandai into fridge for 5-6 hrs. Serve it extra chilled for better taste.
4. Strawberry Thandai (By Chef Kunal Kapur, Saffola Foods)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Almonds
- 2 tbsp Pistachios
- 1 tsp Poppy seeds
- 2 tbsp honey
- 8 Strawberries
- 2 tbsp Cashews
- 1 tsp Melon seeds
- 4 Peppercorns
- 1/4 tbsp powdered Green Cardamom
- 2 cup Milk
Method:
- In a blender jar, add cashews, almonds, pistachios, peppercorns, melon seeds, poppy seeds, honey and cardamom powder. Grind to form a coarse mixture.
- Add roughly chopped strawberries to the jar and grind again to form a thick strawberry mixture.
- Lastly, add milk to the blender and blend to mix the ingredients well with the milk.
- Pour the Strawberry Thandai into two glasses and serve. Enjoy it chilled!
5. Hemp Thandai: (By Chef Amit, Taj Theog Resorts, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh)
Ingredients:
- Milk (1 liter plus half cup)
- 40 gsm hemp powder
- 20 Almonds
- 10 Cashews (substitute with 10 almonds)
- 15 Pistachios (substitute with 5 to 6 almonds)
- 1 ½ tsp Melon Seeds (magaz)
- 1 ½ tsp Poppy Seeds (substitute with 8 cashews)
- 1 ½ tsp Fennel Seeds
- 12 Green Cardamoms
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 10 Black Pepper (adjust to taste)
- 6 tsp Sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 pinch Saffron
- 20 Rose Petals (or 4 to 6 tsps of gulkand)
- 2 tsp Nuts (sliced, for garnish)
- 6 Ice Cubes (optional for serving)
Method
- Rinse the almonds, cashews, and pistachios in water. Soak them in water for at least 4 hours (or in hot water for 1 hour).
- Drain the soaked nuts and grind them into a fine paste using a little water.
- Add the poppy seeds, melon seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, and green cardamom pods to the nut paste. Grind everything together to form a smooth mixture.
- Mix in the saffron strands, sugar, and dried rose petals (or gulkand) to the paste.
- Dilute the paste with milk (or water) to achieve the desired consistency. You can adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar if needed.
- Chill the Thandai in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
- Serve it cold, garnished with additional saffron strands or chopped nuts
6. Thandai Chia Mousse Recipe (By Manish Sharma, Executive Chef, Radisson Blu, Resorts and Spa Udaipur)
Ingredients:
- Thandai (Readymade )
- 10Soaked and Peeled Badam (Almonds)
- 10 Gram Chia seeds
- 2 cups Whipped Cream
Method:
- For the Thandai Paste, Add thandai sharbat and almonds.
- In a pan, boil milk, and above prepared thandai paste. Pour this mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Soak Veg gelatin in water for 2 minutes. Gently melt over hot water and add it to the above cooled mixture. Finally add whipped cream, chia seeds soaked & mix well.
- Pour it into glasses and refrigerate for 3 hours. Garnish with nuts, chia seeds and serve.
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