Thandai- The Serene Drink of Delinquent Holi Offers You with More than Expectation

While growing up in India, thandai was the forbidden delight of Holi—the colorful Indian spring festival where friends, family, and even strangers hurl clouds of pink, green, yellow powders at each other and spray jets of colorful water. On any other day of the year, it was literally translated as 'something that cools', is just a sweet, creamy milk drink, flavored with almonds, pistachios, and cashew nuts to boost immunity, spices like fennel, pepper, cardamom to aid digestion, rose petals for detoxification, milk to strengthen bones, and poppy seeds and melon seeds to lift spirits. But on Holi, when the refreshment is served as a way to cool off after playing in the hot sun, it traditionally comes with the addition of bhaang (a derivative of marijuana)—a single ingredient that not only turns kesariya thandai into a truly merry drink, but something that made it a whole lot more exciting (and forbidden) for my teenage self.

Every Holi, as I would step out, dressed in my throwaways, ready for a day of colorful revelry—pockets stuffed with packets of powdered colors, a bag of water-filled balloons in one hand and a water gun in the other—my mother would admonish me, in her severest of tones, to stay away from it. And I would. But the next day at school, I would hear classmates boast about how much more they had enjoyed the festivities after downing a glass of thandai with bhaang, and my own Holi fun would feel somehow diminished with the taste of sharbat. As with all things forbidden, Holi's thandai and sharbat delight took on mythic proportions in my head. I would imagine how creamy and nutty it must taste, how refreshing it must feel, and most of all, what a kick it must give. I'd resolve to disobey my mother next Holi, but I never did. 

A decade has now passed, and while I no longer live in India, I still have fond memories of playing with colors and water on Holi. This year's festival celebration fell on Wednesday, March 27, and just for fun I whipped up a batch of the serene drink for my friends and roommates. Instead of the bhaang I once longed to try, I added a few ounces of gin. The aromatic spirit accentuates the floral flavors of the drink beautifully, and gives it a slight kick—Holi-thandai that's not forbidden but still very much a delight.

Get the Thandai in This Season of Holi and Cherish Your Happy Time

Thandai, most commonly known as "Sardai", is a cold drink prepared with a mixture of almonds, fennel seeds, magaztari seeds (watermelon kernel), rose petals, pepper, vetiver seeds, cardamom, saffron, milk and sugar. This drink is common in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan - mostly in Peshawar. It is native to India and is often associated with the Maha Shivaratri and Holi festival.

Traditionally, Holi fare has to be either cooling or energizing. As the festival marks the onset of summer, the food doled out during this period focuses on flavors that helps one sustain the sun-soaked days.

Take for instance mawa or lentil-stuffed gujiyas and puran polis that farmers chomped on the fields for their instant energy. Similarly, thandai was gulped down by peasants because the fennel-fragrant concoction had a natural cooling effect on the body.

Keeping these rules in mind and without meddling with the traditional essence of Holi, a lot can be done by simply adding new flavor notes to classic preparations. An effortless experiment is stuffing gujiyas with varied fillings. A popular Holi staple in many parts of the country, this flour pastry-based dumpling packs-off almost all ingredients well. You can clog it with dessert cheeses such as comte or fruity stilton or infuse traditional mawa with real vanilla bean and orange extract before pushing it into the flaky dough and frying it until golden.

Similar attempts can also be made with malpuas whose filling can range from classic Belgian chocolate to salted caramel to peanut butter to fresh fruits. Daring ones can also convert these desserts into salty treats by gambling with fillings such as minced meats or herbed-roasted vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini, shitake mushroom, spinach and red amaranth.

This season, I took a spin on the quintessential kesaria thandai. While the North Indian coolant is known for its peppery aftertaste, I introduced a few sweet and fruity elements to make it friendlier for first timers attending our annual Holi bash. I infused this drink with seasonal pieces of strawberries, petals of home-grown and dried rose and a spoonful of rose syrup to give this thandai and sharbat a cool pink colour and a summery, fresh zing.

To serve, while I stuck to traditional clay pots to add a rustic touch, you can go ahead with classy shot glasses, tall high balls or glass flutes.

Top 5 Menus to Choose In This Holi

The festive season of colors is not very far away and with Holi so close to drench us with vibrant colors, you should prepare yourself with savory foods and drinks for treating your guests in this summer! However, if you are planning to celebrate a grand Holi, this year, have a look at the top 5 Menus.

• Gujiya

How can anyone imagine a Holi bash without some sugar syrup dripping gujiyas. Native to Rajasthan, gujiyas are sweet dumplings made of maida or flour and filled with a delightful khoya and dry fruits mixture. Deep fried in ghee and dipped in sugary syrup. Gujiyas can also be baked, if you are calorie conscious. Just brush them with some oil before putting them in the oven.

• Phirni

Phirni and Holi are inseparable. These two go hand in hand enhancing the ethnicity of the festival to glorifying heights. The smell of kasoras dipped in water or phirni with roses, berries, fruits and nuts is a simple bliss! 

• Snacks

Holi increases the hunger of human beings and why it shouldn't? With delicious snacks being prepared in home such tendency is quite obvious. In this season you can stalk up the plates with these easy to make crisp and let the guests munch. Two of the most popular snacks prepared this time are Shakkar Paare and Namak Paare.

• Bhaang and Thandai

Bhaang is a popular intoxicating drink prepared during the festival of Holi. Originally made with cannabis leaves but this recipe makes use of whole spices, poppy seeds, water melon seeds and rose petals. Some of the popular menus include Bhaang ki Pakori, Bhaand ki Chutney, Kesaria Thandai and Ice Cream Thandai.

• Chaat Center

Holi without chaat is incomplete. Some of the popular items include crunchy golgappes, sizzling tikkis, cottony bhallas, Papri Chaat, garma garm aloo ki tikki etc. 

With so much of availability make sure you spend the best Holi this year! Stay safe, stay well! Happy Holi to all of you! 

Serve Chilled Thandai in Your Home with Mere Availabilities

Thandai, a milk based summer drink is compatible with our Indian festival, Holi. The festival of colors is celebrated with much fanfare in North India and it is regarded as one of the special festive treats prepared on this day is. An exotic mix of spices, nuts and full fat milk go into the making of this cooling summer drink. Prepared during the hot summer months, this spiced milk mixture not only has many healthy benefits but also has a cooling effect on the body.

Almond is the star player while aromatic spices like peppercorns, fennel and cardamom elevate the flavor of this summer drink. This drink is further infused with dried rose petals and saffron (kesaria thandai) and finished off with crushed pistachios. With an eclectic mix of fragrant ingredients, how can this exotic drink not be addictive? Rejoice the festival of colors with this refreshing drink. 

Thandai can be prepared well at home. Following is the recipe that would help you to prepare the drink in your homes. 

Recipe

• Prep time: 15 min, Cooking time: 20 min, Yield: 6, Main Ingredients: almonds milk.
• Ingredients
• Almonds - 1/3 cup
• Cashew nuts - 2 tbsps
• Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp (khus khus/gasagasalu)
• Melon seeds - 2 tbsp (magaz)
• Fennel seeds - /2 tsps (saunf/sompu)
• Green Cardamom - 5 (elaichi)
• Black peppercorns - 3/4 tsp (kali mirch/miriyalu)
• Sugar - 8 tbsps (adjust according to taste)
• Milk - 1 1/2 lts
• Water - 3/4 cup
• Rose essence - 1/2 tsp OR Dried rose petals (1 tsp)
• Saffron - few strands (kesar/kumkum puvvu)
• Pistachios - fistful, crushed

Method

• Soak almonds in water for 2 hours. Soak melon seeds in water for 2 hours, Soak poppy seeds in water for 2 hours.
• Boil milk, add sugar and allow dissolving. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn off heat and allow cooling. While milk is boiling, peel almonds and place in a bowl.
• To this bowl, add the drained melon seeds, drained poppy seeds, cashew nuts, fennel seeds, pepper corns and green cardamom.
• Grind all these ingredients to a paste. Add 1/4 cup of water and grind further to a smooth paste.
• Add the ground paste to the milk-sugar mixture and mix well. Place lid and leave aside for 15 minutes.
• In a large bowl, strain the mixture. Keep the strained liquid aside. To the residue (almond spice mixture) add 1/2 cup water and strain again into the large bowl.
• Add saffron strands and dried rose petals or rose essence to the strained liquid and mix. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
• At the time of serving, pour into serving glasses. Top with crushed pistachios, slivered almonds and one or two saffron strands.
• Serve it chilled.