Thandai, also recognised as Sardai, is one of India’s traditional drinks mainly prepared during the festival of colors that commemorates the coming of spring. The Thandai drink is believed to have originated during the mythical era as it was the favorite drink of Lord Shiva, famously known during the time. In recent times people celebrating make sure to indulge in a glass of chilled, heavenly Thandai as it is a burst of flavors in your mouth.
Simple Thandai Drink Ingredients
The drink mainly consists of a blend of milk energized with a rich flavourful mix made from ground almonds, fennel seeds, watermelon seeds, khus seeds, peppercorn, cardamom, rose petals, sugar, and saffron. Thandai is all about the goodness of nuts, spices, and seeds. The ingredients are easy to find, which makes them easy to prepare at home and even incorporate the flavor in various recipes. Often when people make Thandai nowadays, they mix bhang in to make it an intoxicating drink. When people add bhang, Thandai works as a mood setter and makes one sing, dance, and have a good time.
Most people take the drink after playing with colors or throwing each other in pools of colored water. As this is the case, the drink is very refreshing and healthful. Thandai in Hindi translates to something cold or something that has a cooling effect. Those who invented the drink intended for people to consume it during warmer months. When individuals enjoy Thandai without straining, one can actually feel the coarseness of nuts and seeds in your mouth.
New Recipes
New age chefs have moved beyond the simple Thandai drink recipe and now use the spice mix to create desserts and innovative drinks. The chefs have chosen to look at Thandai as not only a celebratory drink but as a health drink as well. Therefore they have found it wonderful to try new flavor combinations and bring out the coolest recipes with Thandai.
Mainly chefs use Thandai paste to make new dishes as it is a great base to work with. But over the years, the use of Thandai powder and syrup has become popular as well. Using the powder, paste, and syrup, chefs, have learned they can prepare kulfi, ice cream, barfi, pedas, shahi tukda, basundi, phirni, gujia, kheer, rabdi, ladoos, and shrikhand, and more.
Chefs advise those who love fusion recipes to experiment with Thandai mousse, macaroons, tiramisu, pannacotta, cupcakes, cheesecake, pies, tarts, Thandai meetha paan, and Thandai chocolate barks. During preparation, Thandai should remain as a foundation ingredient while you play around with natural seasonal fruits for flavoring it. It is essential to make sure other flavors do not overpower the fantastic taste of Thandai.
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