Holi Special ~ Thandai

Thandai is a wonderful cold refreshing and healthy flavored milk that is traditionally prepared during the Holi festival. Thandai is  made especially when the hot, dry summer winds blow through the region leaving everything and everybody parched. This thirst-quencher is tasty and cooling. The festival of Holi is never complete without the regular dose of different variants of thandai. Thandai is a mixture of almond, fennel seeds, melon seeds, cardamom, saffron, poppy seeds, rose water, pepper, milk and sugar.

Ingredients : 

Almonds- 1/4 cup
Blanched Melon Seeds - 1 tbsp.
Soaked Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus) – 2 tbsp
Whole Fat Milk – 500 ml.
Peppercorns – 3
Fennel Seeds (Saunf) – ½ tsp
Cardamom (Elaichi) - 2
Sugar – 150 gm.
Rose water – 1 tsp
Saffron Strands -Few
Method :

Heat the milk ,then add sugar.  Stir it till sugar dissolves completely and remove from flame. Add Saffron Strands.  Allow the milk to cool to room temperature.

Blend almonds, cashew nuts, melon seeds, soaked poppy seeds to a smooth paste.

Grind the fennel seeds, pepper corns and cardamom into fine powder. Add the powder ,paste to the boiled milk, mix well.

Let it refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to 6 hours.

Strain the drink, add rose water and mix.

Lip Smacking Thandai is ready......

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