Thandai Recipe – Thandai is a very refreshing drink prepared with nuts, spices and sugar. It came be prepared with milk or water or fruit juice. Thandai is common in North India where it is consumed during summers to beat the heat. Thandai has special significance on the festivals such Holi and Shivratri. After all F for food, F for festivals. Here is the recipe for Thandai Concentrate which will make preparation of thandai on daily basis very convenient.
Ingredients for Thandai… please don’t ask me this otherwise I keep on talking about them and their goodness. And you will be tempted to make thandai right away. Thandai consists of various nuts such as almonds, pistachio, melon seeds, poppy seeds and spices such as black pepper, fennel seeds, green cardamom, saffron and rose in form of gulkand (rose preserve). However you can adjust the ingredients i.e. increase/decrease/include or omit any of them.
1. Soak 125 g almonds and 75 g pistachio for at least 8-10 hours or overnight. Soak ½ cup melon seeds and 3 tbsp poppy seed for at least 2 hours. Soak 3 tbsp black pepper corns, 5 tbsp fennel seeds and 20 cardamoms for at least 2 hours.
2. After soaking for the required time, peel off the almonds, pistachio and take out the seeds from cardamoms.
3. Grind ingredients with little water. Make a fine paste.
4. In a pan add 750 g sugar and 2 cups water. Simmer till the sugar dissolves.
5. Add the ground nuts and spices to sugar syrup. Cook the syrup for 15 minutes on low flame. Add more water it the concentrate thickens too much. Let it cool completely. There after pour in a sterilized glass bottle. DO NOT STORE IN PLASTIC BOTTLES.
6. To make thandai, add 2-3 tbsp thandai concentrate. Add few ice cubes. Fill the glass with chilled milk. Blend everything nicely.
7. Serve chilled thandai daily during summers.
PREP TIME 2 hours + 15 minutes
COOK TIME 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME 2 hours + 30 minutes
1. Soak nuts and spices
Soak 125 g almonds and 75 g pistachio for at least 8-10 hours or overnight. Soak ½ cup melon seeds and 3 tbsp poppy seed for at least 2 hours. Soak 3 tbsp black pepper corns, 5 tbsp fennel seeds and 20 cardamoms for at least 2 hours.
You can soak everything together. I have soaked separately for the picture.
2. Peel almonds, pistachio and cardamoms
After soaking for the required time, peel off the almonds, pistachio and take out the seeds from cardamoms.
3. Grind nuts and spices
Grind ingredients with little water. Make a fine paste. Grind 4 tbsp rose preserve with the nuts.
You can grind everything together. I have grinded them separately, no … not for the picture but because I have a small grinding jar.
4. Make sugar syrup
In a pan add 750 g sugar and 2 cups water. Add in few saffron strands. Simmer till the sugar dissolves.
5. Add thandai paste and cook
Add the ground nuts and spices to sugar syrup. Cook the syrup for 15 minutes on low flame. Add more water it the concentrate thickens too much. Let it cool completely. There after pour in a sterilized glass bottle. DO NOT STORE IN PLASTIC BOTTLES.
6. To make thandai using thandai concentrate
To make thandai, add 2-3 tbsp thandai concentrate. Add few ice cubes. Fill the glass with chilled milk. Blend everything nicely.
7. Serve chilled thandai daily during summers. Bon appétit!
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