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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Indian Beverages » Homemade Thandai (Flavored Spiced Holi Drink)

    Published: Jan 20, 2022 | Last Updated On: May 31, 2023 by Neha Mathur | This post may contain affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Homemade Thandai (Flavored Spiced Holi Drink)

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    Thandai is a traditional Indian beverage popular in the North Indian states of UP and Rajasthan and is made especially for the festival of Holi. It is quite refreshing to drink and is loaded with some rich ingredients like dried nuts & fruits, seeds, fragrant spices, and saffron. Here is a traditional recipe for this flavored spiced Holi drink (vegetarian, gluten-free).

    Here are some more refreshing Indian drink recipes that you may like – Saffron Milk, Mango Mastani, Lassi, Mohabbat Ka Sharbat, Kulukki, and Rose Lassi.

    Thandai served in a glass.
    Jump to:
    • About Thandai
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Thandai
    • Pro Tips By Neha
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Variation
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You Might Also Like
    • Recipe Card

    About Thandai

    Thandai is a traditional Indian drink popular in Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Rajasthan. It’s also known as Sardai in some parts of India.

    This beverage is made especially for the festivals of Holi and Maha Shivaratri. No Holi celebration in North India is complete without this refreshing Indian cold drink.

    The word Thandai comes from the Hindi word Thand means cold. Thandai drink has a cooling effect on the body, hence the name.

    Made using milk and a lot of aromatic spices, dried nuts, and dried fruits, this festive drink is very refreshing and a perfect summer cooler.

    Thandai was traditionally made with a dose of Bhang (Cannabis). Even today, some people add weed to it to make it intoxicating. But be very careful and try Bhang Thandai at your own risk. Getting high on it is not fun if you are not used to it.

    Many readymade versions of this drink are available in the market, but nothing beats the taste that the homemade one gives.

    The taste of these readymade mixes is quite far from the real stuff, and I highly suggest you make it from scratch at home.

    Besides its delicious taste, Thandai has some great benefits for the body. I am listing a few here.

    • Boost Immunity
    • Gives instant energy
    • Cool down the body
    • Aids digestion

    This recipe can be easily scaled if making it for a crowd.

    I also have a Thandai Powder and Thandai Syrup recipe on the blog. Do check them out too.

    Make this recipe for Holi celebrations, Maha Shivratri, or throughout the summer to keep your body cool.

    Here are some more of my favorite Holi recipes: Mawa Gujiya, Aloo Bhujia, Masala Kaju, and Kanji.

    Ingredients

    Thandai ingredients 1
    Thandai ingredients 2

    Milk – Best Thandai is made using whole milk (full-fat milk). Feel free to use skim or low-fat milk to make it.

    To make vegan thandai, replace dairy milk with plant-based milk like almond, coconut, or cashew milk.

    Dried nuts, fruits, and seeds – You will need dried seeds, fruits, and nuts like almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, white poppy seeds, and magaz seeds (melon seeds).

    You can also add some pumpkin seeds or watermelon seeds to the recipe.

    If poppy seeds are not available, then skip adding them.

    Spices – This drink is flavored with whole spices like green cardamom pods (hari elaichi), black peppercorns (kali mirch), and fennel seeds (saunf).

    Saffron – Adding strands of saffron is optional, but it makes the drink even richer. It also adds a hint of yellow color to Thandai.

    Sugar – Adjust the sugar as per your taste. You can also sweeten it with honey or maple syrup.

    Rose Water – Rose water makes this drink very refreshing.

    How To Make Thandai

    Make The Thandai Paste

    Add

    • 10-12 whole almonds
    • 10-12 whole cashew nuts
    • 25-30 whole black peppercorns
    • 10-12 raisins
    • 10-12 whole green cardamoms
    • 1 teaspoon white poppy seeds (optional)
    • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
    • 1 teaspoon melon seeds
    • 1 pinch of saffron strands

    to a medium mixing bowl.

    Nuts, seeds, and spices added to a bowl.

    Add ½ cup of water to the bowl and mix everything well.

    Cover the bowl with a lid and keep it over the counter for 5-6 hours or overnight.

    Note – If it’s too hot where you live, soak the ingredients at room temperature for 3-4 hours and refrigerate them for another 2-3 hours.

    Water added to the bowl.
    Soaked ingredients.

    Add the soaked ingredients and the leftover water to a blender and blend to make a fine paste.

    Add 2-3 tablespoon of milk if required while blending.

    Scrape the sides of the blender a few times while blending. Set the paste aside.

    Soaked ingredients added to a blender.
    Smooth paste made.

    Cook The Thandai

    Heat 4 cups of milk in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.

    Stir frequently to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pan.

    Milk added to a pan.

    When the milk comes to a boil, stir in the paste that we made earlier, along with ¼ cup of granulated white sugar and ½ teaspoon rose water.

    Paste, sugar and rose water added to the pan.

    Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently.

    Check for sugar, add more if required, and cook for another minute.

    Cooked milk.

    Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool down for 10 minutes.

    Transfer the milk mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate it for 3-4 hours for the flavors to mingle.

    Strain The Thandai

    Now pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, muslin cloth, or a nut milk bag, and discard the leftover pulp.

    Chilled milk passed through a fine-mesh strainer.
    Leftover in the strainer.

    Pour the Thandai into serving glasses.

    Garnish with fresh or dried rose petals and slivered dried nuts. Serve chilled. You can also add a few cubes to each glass.

    Ready thandai.

    Pro Tips By Neha

    If you don’t like the spicy kick, reduce the black peppercorns.

    Increase the fennel seeds if making it as a summer drink to enhance its cooling effect.

    The leftover pulp after straining the thandai can be used in curries.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I drink thandai every day?

    Yes, thandai drink has many health benefits; drinking a glass full of it daily will be great for your body. Add less sugar to make it healthier.

    Can I drink thandai at night?

    Thandai is a cooling drink and is mainly served chilled. It is advisable to avoid drinking chilled drinks at night. But if you want to drink thandai at night, you can heat it and froth a little and serve it warm and bubbly.

    Variation

    Rose Thandai – Add some rose syrup-like rooh afza and rose preserve (gulkand) to the Thandai.

    Paan Thandai – Blend a few paan (betel) leaves, gulkand (rose jam), and add this mixture into the classic Thandai recipe.

    With Fruits – You can puree your choice of fruits like strawberries, mangoes, guava, etc., and add the puree to the Thandai for fruity flavors. Mango thandai is my favorite of the lot.

    With Bhang (Cannabis) – To make Thandai with Bhang, soak 12-15 cannabis along with the ingredients mentioned in the recipe and follow the same process.

    You can add readymade bhang paste to the Thandai instead of soaking the bhang.

    However, I would like you to read this article before you decide to add it to your drink. Here you go.

    Serving Suggestions

    Kesar Thandai is best served chilled, so make sure to make it a few hours before you plan to serve it.

    It is the perfect drink to serve for the Holi festival. You can also serve it for other festive occasions and special days.

    Serve it with snacks such as Cornflakes Mixture, Corn Cheese Balls, Aloo Tikki Chaat, Papdi Chaat, etc. 

    You can add a few ice cubes to the glasses before serving.

    Storage Suggestions

    This refreshing drink tastes best when chilled. So prepare it the night before and refrigerate it overnight.

    You can refrigerate it for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Stir well before serving.

    You can also freeze it to make thandai ice cream.

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    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Thandai is a traditional Indian beverage popular in the North Indian states of UP and Rajasthan and is made especially for the festival of Holi. It is quite refreshing to drink and is loaded with some rich ingredients like dried nuts & fruits, seeds, fragrant spices, and saffron. Here is a traditional recipe for this flavored spiced Holi drink (vegetarian, gluten-free).

    Homemade Thandai Recipe (Flavored Spiced Holi Drink)

    Thandai is a traditional Indian beverage popular in the North Indian states of UP and Rajasthan and is made especially for the festival of Holi. It is quite refreshing to drink and is loaded with some rich ingredients like dried nuts & fruits, seeds, and saffron. Here is a traditional recipe to make it.
    4.59 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Beverage
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Soaking Time and Infusing Time: 10 hours hours
    Total Time: 10 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 225kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • 10-12 whole almonds
    • 10-12 whole cashew nuts
    • 25-30 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
    • 10-12 whole raisins (kishmish)
    • 10-12 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
    • 1 teaspoon white poppy seeds (posta dana) (skip if they are not available)
    • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
    • 1 teaspoon melon seeds (magaz)
    • 1 pinch saffron (kesar) (optional but highly recommended)
    • 4 cups whole milk (full-fat milk) (or skim, low-fat or plant-based milk)
    • ¼ cup granulated white sugar (or to taste)
    • ½ teaspoon rose water
    US Customary or Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Make Thandai Paste

    • Add almonds, cashew nuts, black peppercorns, raisins, green cardamoms, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, melon seeds, and saffron to a medium mixing bowl.
    • Add ½ cup of water to the bowl and stir well.
    • Cover the bowl with a lid and keep it over the counter for 5-6 hours or overnight.
    • Note – If it’s too hot where you live, then soak the ingredients at room temperature for 3-4 hours and then refrigerate them for another 2-3 hours.
    • Add the soaked ingredients to a blender along with the leftover water and blend to make a fine paste. Add 2-3 tablespoons of milk if required while blending. Scrape the sides of the blender a few times while blending. Set the paste aside.

    Cook The Thandai

    • Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pan.
    • When the milk comes to a boil, stir in the paste that we made earlier, sugar, and rose water.
    • Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently.
    • Check for sugar and add more if required and cook for another minute.
    • Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool down for 10 minutes.
    • Transfer the milk mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate it for 3-4 hours for the flavors to mingle.

    Strain The Thandai

    • Now pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, muslin cloth, or a nut milk bag, and discard the leftover pulp.
    • Pour the Thandai into serving glasses. Garnish with rose petals and slivered dried nuts. Serve chilled. You can also add a few cubes to each glass.

    Video

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lswn9XTIsY4

    Notes

    Make sure to measure the ingredients properly as the proportions make a lot of difference in the final taste.
    Use a fine-mesh strainer or a nut bag to strain the thandai. We don’t want pieces of spices or nuts coming into our mouths while drinking.
    This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
    If you don’t like the spicy kick, then reduce the black peppercorns.
    Increase the fennel seeds if making it as a summer drink to enhance its cooling effect.
    The leftover pulp after straining the thandai can be used in curries.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 381mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 301IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 255mg | Iron: 1mg
    Pin this recipe for later use!I LOVE to see your creations so pin and mention @WhiskAffair!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kitchen Rhythms

      March 05, 2014 at 3:04 am

      Beautiful Presentation..

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        August 08, 2018 at 10:01 am

        Thnx 🙂

        Reply
    2. Manjula Bharath

      March 06, 2014 at 5:33 am

      wow awesome presentation and thandi looks mindblowing 🙂

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        August 08, 2018 at 10:01 am

        Thnx 🙂

        Reply
    3. pranita deshpande

      September 21, 2018 at 11:36 am

      An easy way of making gujiya thandai

      Reply
    4. Puneet

      April 14, 2019 at 7:04 am

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe! I used freshly made almond milk in the place of regular milk and the thandai was YUM! Reminds me of the thandai my mom made in summers! Thanks a lot!

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        April 15, 2019 at 3:01 am

        Thnx a lot 🙂

        Reply
    5. Jyotica Gupta

      March 09, 2020 at 2:07 am

      Can i make it without melon seeds? Will it make lot of difference in the taste?

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        March 09, 2020 at 3:25 am

        Yes sure. You can just skip them.

        Reply

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