Thandai – Holi Special Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 litres water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar (as per taste)
• 1 litre milk
• 1 tbsp. almonds chopped
• 1 tbsp. dried watermelon/muskmelon (kharbooj/tarbooj) seeds
• 1/2 tbsp. khuskhus (poppy seeds)
• 1 tsp – Peppercorns (whole)
• 1/2 tbsp. saunf (aniseed)
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1/4th cup chopped Pistachio (Pista)
• 1/2 tsp. rose water (optional)
• 1/4th tsp Saffron (Kesar) threads

How to make Thandai

•  Boil the milk in a pan and allow it to cool.
• Soak sugar in 1/2 liter of water and all other dry ingredients except cardamom powder in 2 cups of water for at least 2 hours.
• Grind all soaked ingredients (not sugar) to a very fine paste.
• Mix remaining water to the paste and strain it using a strong muslin strainer to extract the liquid into a vessel
• Now blend the above-made mix with milk and sugar
• Mix the cardamom powder, rose water and saffron strands in the drink.
• Chill for an hour of two before serving.