Nutty, aromatic, and refreshing Thandai is a popular Indian drink made with milk, nuts, and spices like black peppercorns, fennel, cardamom, and saffron. Garnished with dried rose petals and sliced nuts, this chilled milk is perfect for hot days. Here is my easy recipe to make this refreshing drink using homemade Thandai Masala.
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What is Thandai
Thandai also known as "Shardai" is a traditional Indian drink, made especially during festivals like Holi and Maha Shivaratri. It is made from milk, nuts, poppy seeds, and various spices like cardamom, saffron, and fennel seeds with a hint of spice from black peppercorns. Often served chilled, Thandai is refreshing and it's believed to have cooling properties, making it particularly good during warmer weather.
Thandai powder or Thandai Masala is available in stores, but making it at home lets you customize the nuts, adjust the spices to your taste, and use high-quality ingredients. Make extra, because this flavorful blend isn’t just for a refreshing Holi drink—you can also use it to make Thandai Kalakand and Thandai Phirni for a festive sweet treat!
To make it Vegan, you can use plant-based milk of choice. You can also add a tropical twist by adding seasonal fruits, my family loves this Mango Thandai.
Ingredients
Note: A recipe card with exact ingredient measurements and instructions is available at the end of this post. The ingredient photo and details included here are just to give you a clear visual reference of what you’ll need for the recipe, ensuring you know exactly what to gather before you start.
- Nuts - Almonds, cashews and pistachios
- Char Magaz - these melon seeds are available in most Indian grocery stores. If you do not have them you can skip them for this recipe.
- White Poppy Seeds - In India, poppy seeds, known as "Khus Khus," traditionally accompany Thandai but can be omitted if unavailable. If included, ensure they are not expired or rancid. The easiest way to tell is by chewing on a few, they should have a neutral nutty taste.
- Fennel Seeds - a must-have ingredient "badishep" adds the signature cooling taste.
- Spices - Green Cardamom and Black Peppercorns. Grind the whole green cardamom for this recipe for the freshest aromas. Black peppercorns add a slight undertone of heat and you can always add more if you like.
- Saffron - a little goes a long way. If you do not have saffron use ground turmeric to the Thandai powder to add a touch of yellow color
- Dried Rose Petals - good quality dried rose petals add floral notes and a pop of pink to the drink
- Milk & Sugar - traditionally Whole milk is used for this recipe but feel free to use a vegan option if you like. Add sugar or your favorite sugar substitute for sweetness.
How to Make Thandai
Thandai Mix
- Add all the nuts and spices to a bowl and mix.
- Using a spice grinder (or a high-speed blender), grind the mixture in batches to make a fine powder. Note: Do not over-process the mixture as the nuts will start to release oils.
- Store in an airtight container preferably refrigerated for up to 2 months. this recipe makes 2 cups of Thandai powder.
Thandai Doodh
- Add ice, milk, sugar, rose essence(optional), and Thandai powder to a blender jar and blend until smooth.
- Optionally strain the Thandai for a smooth texture and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serving
Serve chilled with an optional garnish of sliced pistachios and dried rose petals.
Storing
You can make both Thandai powder and the drink ahead of time. Refrigerate the powder in an airtight container for up to 2 months. You can prepare the drink a day in advance and refrigerate it.
More Refreshing Indian Drinks
FAQ's
Thandai has a rich, creamy texture with a combination of flavors that include a hint of sweetness from sugar or sweeteners, a nutty undertone from the nuts and seeds, and a blend of aromatic spices like cardamom, fennel, and black pepper. It offers a refreshing and mildly spicy taste with subtle floral notes, from cardamom, saffron and, rose petals.
To make a vegan version, substitute dairy milk with a plant-based milk alternative such as almond milk, cashew milk, or soy milk.
Recipe
Thandai
Equipment
Ingredients
Thandai Powder
- ⅓ cup almonds
- ⅓ cup cashews
- ¼ cup pistachios
- 2 tablespoons melon seeds
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoons fennel seeds
- ¼ cup dried rose petals
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 20 green cardamoms 2 teaspoons
- 1 teapsoon saffron
Thandai Drink
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 8 tablespoons Thandai Powder
Optional Garnish
- 1 tablespoons pistachios sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried rose petals
Instructions
Thandai Powder
- Add all the Thandai Powder ingredients to a bowl and give a good mix. If using a small spice grinder, grind the nut mix to a fine powder in 2 to 3 batches. You can also grind it all at once in a bigger blender. Make sure not to overgrind as the nuts will start to release oils.
- Store in an airtight container. Makes 2 cups of Thandai powder.
Thandai Drink
- To make the Thandai, add ice, milk, sugar, rose essence and Thandai Masala to a blender jar. Blend well until smooth.
- Strain the thandai if you like. Refrigerate and serve chilled. Garnish with sliced pistachios and rose petals.
Kirti says
Hi Archana,
I wanted to try your thandai recipe, I was wondering if we have to use the entire 2 cups of thandai powder for 4 servings?
Thanks!
Archana says
Hey! So you use 2 tablespoons of Thandai powder for 1 cup milk or 1 serving.
Archana says
2 tablespoons of Thandai powder for 1 cup of milk. You can always add more or less Thandai powder to your taste. Check out the Thandai Drink Ingredient section on the recipe card.
Yvonne says
Hi,
How much of the Thandai powder do you usually add to one drink?
Kind regards,
Yvonne
Archana Mundhe says
Hi Yuonne, I add 2 tablespoons of Thandai Powder to each serving.
Jenny says
Have you ever tried this with a milk alternative?
Archana Mundhe says
Yes, works great with almond milk.
Roopa O says
Hi Archana, Great recipe. My grinder started acting up while making it so batches may have gotten overground because they are darker in color than the others. Does that mean that those batches are now spoilt? I was planning on serving at a party.
Thanks,
Roopa