Rose Thandai

A blend of chilled thandai and rose milk; this Rose Thandai is such a splendid cooling drink. Plus, visually attractive and full of flavor.

Try this for your summer drink or enjoy it for festivals like Holi and Mahashivratri!

Summers call for cool drinks that are wholesome and delicious. So many milk based drinks fall into this category.

Chilled flavored milk is such a great drink for hot summers. It also fight some of the fatigue from the heat.

When I was a kid my grand mom would always make some delicious chilled milk shakes and juices for us on hot days. From rose milk to mango lassi and kokum sharbat to ginger lemon, we have enjoyed them all.

From all the drinks, Thandai and rose milk were always loved. Not only by us, by our friends too. And so I decided to blend these two drinks and make a delicious drink that is great for warm days.

What is Thandai

Generally enjoyed for Holi and Mahashivratri; Thandai is a mix of chilled milk, sugar and a special blend of spices, nuts and seeds called Thandai Powder.

A super cooling drink it is the highlight for these festivals.

We generally make the masala at home as it is only a mix of black pepper, melon seeds, saunf, poppy seeds, nuts and rose petals.

The same can be bought off Amazon or from an Indian store and used. There are thandai syrups available too but they will not work for this recipe. These syrups have a lot of sugar and that combined with rose syrup will make the drink extra sweet.

This drink uses the masala which has so many ingredients that are cooling for the body. Combined with milk and rose, the drink is really cooling on hot days and makes a perfect summer drink.

This Rose Thandai Recipe

• Is super easy to make as it only needs three necessary ingredients. These are easy to procure and the masala and rose syrup do have a long shelf life too.
• Can be served immediately if made with chilled milk or can be refrigerated till ready to serve.
• Is not just tasty, it looks chic with that gorgeous color too.
• Can be served in big glasses as a welcome drink for a party or as shots in shot glasses.

Make a big batch or make a couple glasses, this recipe works great either ways. I would recommend making it as a batch as it helps balance the masala and rose syrup.

I have prepared this recipe for Holi this year and I shared an Instagram reel for it too. My page was migrating so I skipped sharing it here. Finally adding it for summer!

I served this Thandai in these glasses and lots of folks wanted to know where they are from. Sharing the link here in case you would like to buy them.

Video Recipe

Ingredients for Rose Thandai

Milk: Use whole milk for the recipe. It makes the thandai creamy. Using a lower fat content milk will not yield a super creamy lassi.

I have not tried the recipe with non-dairy milk but I believe it should work just as fine.

Rose Syrup: Rose syrup is the main ingredient here. Not only does it add taste to the recipe, it also adds color and flavor.

Thandai Powder: A mix of seeds, nuts and other flavorful ingredients; Thandai powder or Masala is an essential ingredient here.

We can make it at home with this recipe or buy it from the store. However, without this masala the recipe is just rose milk and not thandai.

Dried Rose Petals: An ingredient to top the thandai and add some color to it, dried rose petals are delicious and add some extra flavor.

Use dried rose petals or dried rose buds for the recipe. These are optional but recommended.

Adding some nuts like pistachios, edible silver foil or saffron on top is an option too. However, these can be used as a combination or by themselves.

Step by Step Instructions to make Rose Thandai

1- To a blender jar add rose syrup and thandai powder.

2- Add milk to the jar.

3- Blend till smooth; about 2-3 minutes.

4- Open and taste for sweetness.

5- In a glass add some rose syrup and swirl it.

6- Pour the thandai and top with dried rose petals or dried rose buds and serve!

Tips and Notes

• Use cold milk for the recipe. Adding some ice cubes is an option too. I use chilled milk to eliminate watering down the thandai.
• Rose syrup can be replaced with a combination of pink color and rose water. The flavors will not be as prominent but it does work.
• Thandai is a great drink for Holi. However, with all the cooling ingredients in it, it is a great drink for summers too.

More thandai recipes to try