Thandai Boba

A delicious fusion recipe of Kesar Thandai, this Thandai Boba is refreshing and easy to make.

With just a few components it can be assembled in under ten minutes. Enjoy it chilled for Holi and through the summer months!

Holi calls for Thandai for sure. But we can make a fusion recipe to celebrate too! This Thandai Boba is exactly that.

Inspired by the Asian drink Boba Tea, this drink is great for festivals like Holi and beyond. It is a fusion recipe that starts with perfectly cooked sweetened boba, chilled kesar thandai and vanilla ice-cream.

It combines two classics to make a fun drink. Moreover, it is easy to customize and enjoy throughout summers too.

Jump to:

• What is Thandai?
• What is Boba?
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Recipe FAQs
• More Holi to try
• Thandai Boba

What is Thandai?

Thandai or Sardai is a cooling drink from India. Enjoyed extensively during the festival of Holi, Mahashivratri and through the summer months.

Thandai is made using a spice mix called Thandai Masala. This masala is essentially a blended version of seeds, nuts and flowers. Melon seeds, fennel seeds, cashews, almonds, cardamom pods, rose petals and saffron are the key ingredients in it.

Made with chilled milk for an instant version or boiled for a long time and cooled the traditional way, both the thandai recipes work well. However, here we are going to be using the instant version. Also try this Rose Thandai; it is delicious and amazing with all the floral notes! And this Thandai Ice-cream is our favorite too.

What is Boba?

Boba is a specific kind of dessert and drink topping made with tapioca starch. It comes as tight hard balls that become soft and spongy once cooked and added to a sweetener.

Boba is often used in Asian milk teas, water based teas and many desserts. It does not store very well and so we use it instantly in almost every recipe.

These play a great part in adding texture to the drink we are making. Also try these popular drinks I have shared earlier: Instant Pot Boba Tea, Rose Boba tea.

Why this recipe works

• A combination of boba, thandai and vanilla ice-cream; this recipe is a great cooling drink for summers.
• For festivals like Holi, this drink is a welcome change from just traditional Thandai. It has so much more flavor and texture compared to regular thandai. And it works beautifully on other festivals like Diwali too.
• Once we have the thandai made from either home-made thandai masala or store bought; making the drink is only a matter of ten minutes. And the drink works best when made per glass instead of a batch.
• The recipe is easy to customize as we can add any flavor thandai with boba and flavored ice-cream.

We love to make this recipe with kesar thandai, maple soaked boba, vanilla ice-cream and a host of toppings like colored fennel and dried rose petals. Together this combination is a classic, but the variations are great too.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Boba: As the name suggests we use boba for this recipe. These can be cooked using an open pot or an Instant Pot. Once done, set them aside to cool before adding to the recipe.
• Thandai Powder: Thandai Masala is the ingredient that is a must-have for the recipe. I like to pre-make the powder and use it as required. However, store bought thandai powder works well too.
• Whole Milk: The next ingredient here is milk. I use whole milk for the creamiest and most delicious thandai. Please refrain from using milk of a lower fat content as the end result will not be as wholesome.
• Vanilla ice-cream: The topping on my drink is almost always vanilla ice-cream. It is creamy, smooth and makes the entire drink top notch. Skip if you like but I would strongly recommend it.
• Sugar: Given that the drink is a sweet one, I like to add some sugar. Though boba is soaked in either sugar syrup or honey and we add vanilla ice cream, some sugar is great for the drink. Skip it if you prefer a less sweet version.

Moreover, apart from these ingredients, I like to add some colored fennel seeds and dried rose petals on top. These work for flavoring and making the drink look chic.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- Heat water in a pan and add dried honey boba. Mix well.

2-Bring to a boil and cook for 18-20 minutes. Stir intermittently to avoid it from sticking.

3- Turn down the heat and let the boba cool. Drain boba and place them in a flat bowl. Add maple syrup on it and set aside.

4- Prepare kesar thandai as per this thandai recipe and chill till ready to use.

5- In a glass add 2 tablespoons of boba.

6- Then top it with cold thandai.

7- Add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top.

8- Then sprinkle some colored fennel seeds and dried rose petals on top. Enjoy this thandai boba drink!

Expert Tips and Notes

• Make the Thandai before hand and chill till ready to serve. This chilled thandai works wonderfully in the recipe. Plus, make the boba just before serving so they are soft and chewable.
• The drink is best assembled by glasses rather than a big batch. Each person can have their own version with more or less bobs, with or without ice-cream etc.
• This recipe is great for festivals like Holi and Diwali and also through the summer months. A welcome change from traditional thandai, this recipe is awesome in taste and flavor.
• To make the drink perfectly balanced ensure that the sugar in thandai balances the sweetness of maple syrup of boba and vanilla ice-cream. So add only a limited amount of sugar to the thandai.

Recipe FAQs

More Holi to try

Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments whilst you are there, thanks!