Holi’s Over? So What? Try Out These Thandai Recipes!

The festival of Holi just passed us by, but what about the snacks and drinks associated with it? Well, one can always have them all year round because summer is coming and we need our cool beverages as a local support system to cope with it. Thandai is a cooling, refreshing, and nutritious beverage made with a blend of nuts, seeds, spices, milk and is an appropriate summer beverage which is also popular during festivals like Holi and Maha Shivaratri. The name “Thandai” literally translates to “cooling” in Hindi, which perfectly describes its purpose — to cool the body during hot weather.

So, Holi or no Holi, grab the freshest organic milk that you have and get started on these thirst-quenching drinks!

Refreshing Thandai

1/4 cup almonds

2 tbsp cashews

2 tbsp pistachios

1 tbsp watermelon seeds

1 tbsp poppy seeds (khus khus)

1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)

4-5 green cardamom seeds

4-5 black peppercorns/black pepper seeds

A pinch of saffron strands

1/2 cup sugar (adjust to taste)

1 tsp rose water

Ice cubes (optional)Instructions:

Soak the Nuts and Seeds: Soak almonds, cashews, pistachios, watermelon seeds, and poppy seeds in water for 4-5 hours. Drain and peel the almonds.

Thandai powder

Blend: Grind the soaked nuts and seeds with fennel seeds, cardamom pods, black pepper seeds, and a little milk from FarmLokal to make a smooth paste.

Strain: Strain the mixture through a fine sieve or muslin cloth to extract a smooth liquid.

Mix With Milk: Add this liquid to the remaining milk. Stir in sugar, saffron, and rose water. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.

Chill: Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Serve cold with ice cubes.

Now that you know the basic Thandai recipe, here are multiple variations that you can try out. These include:

1. Mango Thandai

Blend ripe mango pulp with the classic thandai mixture for a fruity twist.

Add a pinch of chaat masala for a tangy kick.

2. Coconut Thandai

Replace regular milk with coconut milk for a tropical flavor.

Add shredded coconut to the nut mixture while blending.

3. Rose Thandai

Increase the quantity of rose water for a stronger floral aroma.

Garnish with dried rose petals.

4. Chocolate Thandai

Add cocoa powder or melted dark chocolate to the thandai mixture.

Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

5. Thandai Smoothie

Blend thandai with frozen bananas, a handful of spinach, and a dash of honey for a healthy smoothie.

Thandai is not just a drink; it's an experience that brings together the richness of Indian flavors and the joy of summer. And of course, one can also always choose to drink their feelings away so enjoy experimenting with these recipes and let us know whether you liked the variations or not.