Thandai Syrup Recipe (Make Once, Store for 6 Months)

A glass pitcher filled with brown Thandai Syrup sits on a rustic tray, surrounded by rose petals. Nearby, a small bowl holds sliced almonds and pistachios, with a glass of creamy thandai garnished with petals in the background.

5 from 1 vote

Thandai Syrup Recipe (Make Once, Store for 6 Months)

Make Thandai Syrup at home and store it for up to 6 months to make Holi special Thandai in minutes. It is easy, flavorful, and can be used in other desserts. Here is how to make it.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Soaking Time6

Total Time6 25

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Author: Neha Mathur

Ingredients

10-12 whole almonds
10-12 whole cashews
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
10-12 whole raisins (kaishmish)
10-12 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
1 teaspoon melon seeds (kharbooj ke beej)
1 teaspoon white poppy seeds (khus khus)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
1 pinch saffron (kesar)
1 tablespoon gulkand (rose jam)
1 cup sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Soak almonds, cashew nuts, black peppercorns, raisins, green cardamoms, melon seeds, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, and saffron in ½ cup water for 5-6 hours.

Soaking softens nuts and spices completely, giving you a smoother paste and a more cohesive syrup texture.

Add the soaked ingredients to the small jar of a blender along with the leftover water and gulkand and blend to make a silky smooth paste. Keep aside.

You can remove the almonds’ skins before blending, but after trying this recipe multiple times, I’ve found that it doesn’t make a difference.

Add sugar and ½ cup water to a nonstick pan and heat it on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Stir frequently while cooking.
Reduce the heat to low.
Add the paste we made earlier to the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky. Stir frequently while cooking.

Once you add the paste to the sugar syrup, keep the heat low. High heat scorches the nuts and turns the syrup bitter.

Dip a cold spoon into the syrup and hold it up; the syrup should fall in a slow, thick ribbon. That’s your sign, it’s ready.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool down. You can pass the syrup through a fine mesh strainer for extra smoothness.
Pour it into a glass bottle and refrigerate for up to 6 months. Use as desired.
To make Thandai, add 2-3 tablespoons of syrup to a glass full of chilled milk and stir well. Garnish with rose petals and serve chilled.

Video

Notes

Skip an ingredient or two if it's not readily available.

Use a clean and dry spoon when removing the syrup from the bottle. Also, close the lid tightly after every use.

This recipe will yield approximately 1 cup of syrup, enough to make 12-15 glasses of Thandai. You can scale the recipe up or down as per your requirements.

Nutrition