Thandai Recipe (Traditional Holi Drink)

thandai recipe garnished with rose petals in two glass jars with a small glass jar of milk in the background on a bright blue board

4.91 from 21 votes

Thandai Recipe (Traditional Holi Drink)

Thandai is a traditional and popular North Indian drink, made during the Holi festival. A typical Thandai recipe is made with a powder or paste of nuts & seeds like almonds, pistachios, poppy seeds, melon seeds with fragrant spices like green cardamom, fennel seeds, black pepper, saffron and hints of rose. This Thandai powder or paste is further mixed with milk to make the refreshing and cooling drink.

Prep Time1 30

Total Time1 30

Course: Beverages

Cuisine: North Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings: glasses

Calories: 260kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons almonds - 30 grams, rinsed
2 heaped tablespoons pistachios - 20 grams, unsalted and rinsed
2 tablespoons poppy seeds white, (khus khus)
¼ cup melon seeds - 30 grams
2 tablespoons rose petals - dried or fresh or swap with 2 tablespoons rose water or 2 tablespoons gulkand (rose preserve)
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon whole black pepper
3 to 4 green cardamoms - husks removed and seeds kept
15 to 18 saffron strands - optional
½ cup sugar - 100 grams
8 cups milk - cold or chilled, add as needed
ice cubes - as required, optional
few rose petals or chopped almonds or pistachios for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Soaking nuts and seeds

In a bowl, pour 1 cup warm water.
Then add almonds, pistachios, poppy seeds (khus khus), melon seeds, dried rose petals, fennel seeds and black pepper.
Mix very well. Cover and keep aside for minimum one hour or two hours. If you use water at room temperature, then you can also keep overnight or for 4 to 5 hours in the fridge.

Making thandai paste

After 1 to 2 hours, pour the whole mixture including the soaking water in a grinder or blender jar. Do make sure to use a high-speed grinder or blender.
Add ½ cup sugar, seeds from 3 to 4 green cardamoms and the saffron strands.
Blend the mixture to a very smooth and fine paste. Remove in a bowl and keep aside. You can cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.

Making thandai recipe

To prepare thandai, take about 4 tablespoons of the thandai paste in a glass. You can add less or more thandai paste as needed.
Add chilled milk. You can also use half-half combination of milk and water.
Mix very well. Check the taste and add more sugar if needed.
Add a few ice cubes if you like.
Garnish with rose petals. You can also garnish with some chopped almonds or pistachios.
Serve thandai immediately. Alternatively, you can prepare the thandai drink in a large mug or jug. Refrigerate and then serve.

Storage

For make ahead, store the thandai paste in the refrigerator and it keeps well for a week.

Video

Notes

Nuts: Traditionally almonds and pistachios are included. Swap cashews with pistachios. For pistachios do not use the salted ones.
Rose flavors: If using gulkand (rose petals preserve), then reduce the sugar to ⅓ cup. Or instead add 2 tablespoons rose water.
Thandai paste consistency: Grind the paste very finely, especially if preparing for kids. You can even strain the thandai paste if your blender or mixer is not able to make a fine paste. If the paste is not super fine or finely ground, it will give a gritty and grainy texture in the drink.
Peeling almonds: You can use peeled almonds if you want. Just blanch the almonds separately and then peel them.
Vegan option: Use almond milk, cashew milk or lite coconut milk. Almond milk is a better choice for this recipe.
Seeds: Skip poppy seeds and melon seeds if they are not available in your country. You can replace melon seeds with unsalted peeled pumpkin seeds.

Nutrition