Instant Thandai Recipe
Enjoy the sweet, nutty, and spicy flavors of Thandai, a chilled Indian festive drink made with homemade Thandai powder. Perfect for Holi and any celebration, this easy recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and can be made ahead. Customize with plant-based milk for a vegan version!
Servings 6 people
Calories 442.04kcal
Ingredients
To Make the Thandai Powder
- 10 cashews
- 10 almonds
- 7 pistachios
- 15 peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- 2 tablespoon dried rose petals
To Make Thandai
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoon thandai powder
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon rose water
- 2 tablespoon dried rose petals
- 2 tablespoon chopped pistachios
Instructions
To Make the Thandai Powder
- Arrange the ingredients in their exact proportions.
- Grind them to a coarse powder in a blender or crush using a mortar and pestle. Avoid over-grinding to prevent a paste-like consistency. Transfer the ground Thandai masala into an airtight container to keep it fresh for future use.
To Make Thandai
- Add 4 tablespoons of milk to a small bowl, warm it in the microwave, and soak the saffron in it for 10 minutes.
- In a thick-bottomed pan, add milk and heavy cream.
- Then stir in the Thandai powder and sugar. Cook over medium flame and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture for 12-15 minutes.
- Remove from flame and add the saffron milk, rose water, and dried rose petals. Mix well to combine.
- Cover the pan and let the mixture steep for 1 hour on the kitchen counter to allow the flavors to infuse.
- Strain the drink to remove any leftover bits from the nuts and spices (optional but recommended), then refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until ready to serve.
Notes
If you don’t have melon seeds, you can substitute them with dried seeds from any melon family fruit like cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, or pumpkin seeds. Simply wash, sun-dry, and roast them in the oven for 15 minutes at 300°F. If certain spices or nuts are unavailable, feel free to swap them with the closest ingredient or skip them entirely, though this may alter the final flavor.
When making Thandai masala, grind the ingredients to a coarse powder to avoid turning it into a paste. Instead of heavy cream, you can use half & half, condensed milk, creamer, or evaporated milk for a creamy texture. If the Thandai is too thick, add ice cubes or water to thin it out. If making the masala isn’t an option, you can use Thandai essence or Everest Thandai masala powder as a convenient alternative.
Keep in mind that the nutritional facts include nuts, but some of the solid matter from the nuts is strained out and not consumed, so the total calorie count may be lower than what’s listed. Only 1-2 tablespoons of masala are used in the recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1glass | Calories: 442.04kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.73g | Protein: 12.69g | Fat: 35.9g | Saturated Fat: 20.42g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.51g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9.93g | Cholesterol: 111.07mg | Sodium: 63.91mg | Potassium: 306.25mg | Fiber: 1.09g | Sugar: 18.31g | Vitamin A: 1333.94IU | Vitamin C: 0.88mg | Calcium: 198.49mg | Iron: 1.16mg