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.