Thandai ( Spiced Milk Drink)

A glass of thandai on a slate platter and some saffron on the side.

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5 from 1 vote

A flavorful Indian drink; Thandai uses a mix of Indian spices, seeds and nuts with sugar and milk.

It is a popular drink to enjoy during Holi but it is amazing through the summer months!

Prep Time0

Cook Time10

Chilling Time4

Total Time10

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 209kcal

Author: Smruti

Ingredients

2 cups Whole Milk
2 tablespoon Thandai Masala
1½ teaspoon Sugar
6-7 strands Saffron
½ teaspoon Dried rose petals
½ teaspoon Raw fennel seeds

Instructions

In a pan add milk. It helps to add some water to the pan before adding milk as it keeps the milk from burning.
2 cups Whole Milk
Bring the milk to a boil and add the thandai masala.
2 tablespoon Thandai Masala
Mix well and add the sugar as well.
1½ teaspoon Sugar
Bring everything to a quick boil.
In a mortar pestle crush some strands of saffron. Add 2 spoons of the boiling thandai and mix well.
6-7 strands Saffron
Transfer the saffron milk back to the thandai and boil for another couple of minutes.
Turn down the heat and let the thandai cool down. Then transfer to a cup using a fine mesh strainer.
Chill the thandai till ready to serve. Divide in two glasses and top off with dried rose petals, pistachios, saffron strands and fennel seeds.
½ teaspoon Dried rose petals, ½ teaspoon Raw fennel seeds

Video

Notes

Use whole milk as far as possible. It makes a super delicious and thick thandai. However, lower fat milk works too. And so does non-dairy milk.
The thandai masala is easy to prepare and store in the refrigerator. I like to keep my masala ready all the time. It stays well for months when refrigerated.
Prepare the thandai ahead of time and refrigerate. It tastes best when served cold.
The extra saffron in the recipe is easy to eliminate. Simply leave it out to make a plain thandai. Or even add something like rose syrup or paan for a flavored thandai.
Straining the thandai is optional but highly recommended. It helps remove all the gritty bits of the masala. Thandai that is not strained will be very gritty.
Adding hot thandai or milk to saffron strands help release its color and flavor. Moreover, crushing it using a mortar and pestle helps get maximum flavor.
Adding a couple of drops of kewra essence or rose water works well. However, this is completely optional.
Making thandai instantly and adding ice to cool it down is an option. However, it waters down the drink and may not taste the same. So make sure there is enough time to refrigerate and cool it down.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition