Thandai is an Indian milk-based chilled drink traditionally made with almonds pest, fennel seeds, rose petals, peppercorns, poppy seeds, cardamom, saffron, milk, and sugar. I used almond milk, cashew pest, almond flour, fennel seeds powder, rose water, crushed black pepper, poppy seeds pest, cardamom powder, saffron, and honey. This is a great summer day drink trendy during Holi (a festival of color). Holi is an Indian festival in the summer. It's really yummy hilled drink during those scorching sunny days.
Though it's not hot here in the bay area, I wanted to have this drink for my stay home Holi celebration.:) It's straightforward to make but super tasty. Add your favorite liquor of your choice to make it adult-friendly😜 ! I added Vodka to it.
I used almond milk. You could want you could use regular 2% or whole milk.
Ingredients:
4 cups Almond milk or regular milk
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cashew pest
2 teaspoons poppy seeds pest
3 tablespoons almond flour
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 teaspoon Rosewater
2 pinch of saffron
Dry Rose petals, Chopped Pistachios, and few strands of saffron for garnish
4 ounce of Vodka (Optional)
Ice cubes
Methods:
In a grinder, grind the poppy seeds and the cashew nuts into a dry pest.
In a saucepan, take the almond milk and bring it to a boil.
Then add the almond flour, poppy seed, and cashew pest into the milk and whisk to mix together.
Next, gradually add fennel seeds powder, crushed black pepper, cardamom powder, rosewater, saffron, and honey.
Mix everything together.
Turn the heat to low and cook for 5 more mins.
After 5 mins of cooking in low heat, when milk will absorb all the flavors, strain the mixture using a sieve into a pitcher.
Press the solid undissolved masalas that collect into the sieve with the back of a spoon.
Cover the pitcher of the Thandai with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for two hours overnight.
To serve, pour the Thandai into 4 small glasses over ice cubes and garnish with chopped pistachios, rose petals, and saffron strands!
If you like, you could add one ounce of vodka (or your choice of liquor) to each glass and mix well with a spoon.
Enjoy the glass of chilled Thandai!
