Thandai Recipes

On the colorful festival of Holi try out these refreshing Thandai Recipes and add more joy to Holi festivities. In case you also have devised a Thandai Recipe, please do share it with us. We promise to carry your recipe along with your name in this comprehensive web site on Holi Festival.

Outstanding Thandai Recipes

Thandai Recipes: One
Ingredients:
1 1/2 litres water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. almonds
1 tbsp. kharbooj/tarbooj seeds skinned (commercially available)
(these are skinned dried seeds of watermelon and cantaloupes)
1/2 tbsp. khuskhus (poppy seeds)
1/2 tbsp. saunf (aniseed)
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder or 15 whole pods
1/2 tsp. rose water (optional)
1 tsp. peppercorns whole
1/4 cup dried or fresh rose petals (gulkand variety)

Method:

• Soak sugar in 1/2 litre of the water used. Keep aside.
• Wash clean all other dry ingredients, except cardamom if using powder.
• Soak in 2 cups of remaining water. Keep aside.
• Allow all soaked items to stand for at least 2 hours.
• Grind all soaked ingredients to a very fine paste. (not sugar)
• Use a stone grinder (manual or electric) if possible.
• When the paste is very fine, mix remaining water.
• Place a strong muslin strainer over a large deep vessel.
• Press through muslin with back of palms, extracting the liquid into vessel.
• Add remaining water, a little at a time to extract more.
• Pour back some of the extract and press, repress.
• Repeat this process till the residue becomes dry and husk like.
• Add milk, sugar and rosewater to the extracted liquid.
• If using cardamom powder mix it in with the milk.
• Mix well. Chill for a hour of two before serving.
• Making time: 45 minutes
• Makes: 8 glasses (approx.)

Shelf life: Refrigerated 35-40 hours

Thandai Recipes: Two

Ingredients:
15 almonds
2 tsp aniseed
2 tsp poppy seeds
8 cardamom pods
12 tsp sugar
2 tsp peppercorns
2 tsp cumin seeds
300ml water
400ml milk
4 tsp crushed ice

Method

Grind all the spices, with the almonds separate. Blend together in a large bowl, and add water and milk. Strain through cheesecloth until liquid is smooth. Serve cold.

Serves 4-5

Thandai Recipes: Three
Ingredients:
250 gms sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 litre milk
10 almonds, soaked in water and peeled
6 pepper corns
4 cardamoms, crushed
2 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1 tsp khus essence (poppy seeds)
Few ice cubes, crushed

Method:
Grind well the peeled almonds, cardamom and fennel seeds to a fine paste and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Strain the mixture well.
Take crushed ice cubes in a glass till half and fill the rest with the above mixture.
Serve garnished with rose petals.
Makes for 12 glasses
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes

Thandai Recipes: Four
Ingredients:
Milk, sugar, pistachios, almonds, walnuts etc., some charas or bhang.
Powder all dry ingredients and place in a coarse cloth. Heat milk and sugar slowly, holding the cloth with pistas etc. in the milk. Every now and again, squeeze excess liquid from the mass in the cloth. Once the milk has taken the bhang/charas and flavour from the nuts, chill and serve cold.