This cooling, refreshing homemade thandai recipe is super easy to make. This traditional Indian cold drink is made with various nuts and spices mixed with milk. It’s perfect for festivals like Holi and Maha Shivratri.
Take almonds and pistachios in one bowl, add ½ cup of water and soak for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Take the rest ingredients (cashews, melon seeds, khaskhas, fennel seeds, green cardamoms, black peppercorns) in another bowl along with ½ cup of water. Soak for 6-8 hours or overnight.
After the soaking time, drain the soaking water from almond, pistachio bowl, and remove and discard the skin of the almonds and pistachios.
Add those to the blender jar along with soaked cashews, and spices. Also, add gulkand, another ½ cup of water to help in the grinding process. (NOTE: If making a drink right away from the paste then add saffron here in the grinder.) Make a smooth paste out of it.
Make Drink Instantly Using Paste:
Heat up around 6 cups of milk until it starts boiling.
Add around ½ cup of sugar and prepared paste.
Mix well and taste test for sweetness. If needed add more.
Let the milk cool down to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator.
At the time of serving, strain the milk and press down the solids into the strainer to extract all the flavorful milk. Serve chilled.
Make Thandai Syrup:
Take sugar, saffron and water in a large pan. Let the mixture come to a simmer on medium heat.
Add prepared paste. Mix well and bring the mixture to a simmer.
As soon as it starts simmering, lower the heat to low-medium.
Keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. As it keeps simmering, the mixture starts to froth up a lot.
Keep simmering for around 20 minutes. It starts to get darker in color. During the simmering process if the mixture becomes too thick then add some hot water and continue cooking.
After around 20 minutes if your drizzle the syrup back from the spoon, you will find its sticky and syrup consistency. That time thandai syrup is ready, turn off the stove and let it cool down to room temperature. Then store in an airtight container.
To make a drink. mix around 2-3 tablespoons of syrup in cold milk. Whisk it until well combined, and serve with a garnish of rose petals and saffron strands.
Notes
Skip adding black peppercorns if making this drink for the summer season.
Don’t find gulkand? Add some rose water and dried rose petals.
Pre-plan: Keep in mind that this recipe requires soaking time (6 hours or overnight), and milk chilling time (at least 3-4 hours). So If making for a party then soak the nuts 2 days before. Keep the milk ready in the fridge a day before.