Thandai (Chilled Spiced Almond Milk)
ٹھنڈائی (مصالحے دار ٹھنڈا بادام والا دودھ)
*Thandai* comes from *thanda*, cold, and it's made to cool the body on the hottest days. Almonds, cashews, melon seeds, fennel, black pepper, poppy seeds and cardamom are soaked and ground into a paste, then stirred into sweetened milk with rose water and saffron and chilled. It's strongly associated with the spring festival of Holi in North India and with Varanasi, but it's simply a delicious, fragrant nut milk, and Pakistani readers will find it close to badam doodh served cold. This version is plain and alcohol-free.
- ⏱ Total: 25 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 10 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Soak the almonds, cashews, pistachios, melon seeds, fennel, peppercorns, poppy seeds and cardamom in the hot water for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
Blend everything with the soaking water to a very fine paste.
Add the cold milk and sugar and blend again. Strain through a fine sieve or muslin, pressing to extract all the flavour.
Stir in the saffron milk and rose water. Chill for at least 1 hour and serve over ice, garnished with slivered pistachios.
Kitchen notes
Make the paste ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to a week; mix with cold milk when needed.
Ready-made thandai syrup or powder is sold in Indian shops for a quick version.
Black pepper gives a subtle warmth that balances the cooling milk; don't skip it.
A cooling festival drink
Thandai has been made in North India for centuries as a summer cooler, and in Varanasi and Mathura it’s an art form, ground by hand on stone. It’s most famous at Holi, the spring festival of colours, when families make huge batches for visitors. Outside the festival, it’s simply a rich, refreshing summer drink.
The thandai paste
The flavour comes from a paste of nuts, seeds and spices. Almonds and cashews give richness; melon seeds add body; fennel and cardamom add sweetness and aroma; black pepper and poppy seeds add a gentle warmth. Soaking softens everything so it grinds smooth.
Rose and saffron
Rose water and saffron give thandai its perfume and pale golden colour. Add them at the end so their aroma stays fresh.
Serving
Serve very cold, garnished with pistachios and rose petals. For a warm nut milk, see badam doodh or kesar pista milk.
Questions people ask
Does thandai contain alcohol or anything intoxicating?
This recipe doesn't. A version mixed with bhang is sometimes made at Holi; our thandai is a plain spiced nut milk.
Can I make it vegan?
Yes. Use almond or oat milk and sweeten with sugar or dates.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 280
- Protein
- 10 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
