My take on Thandai is an adaptation of the wonderful recipes by Hetal Vasaveda [the mind behind Milk & Cardamom] and Manali [Cook with Manali]. Both have amazing Thandai powder recipes, and each have used it in a really unique way. My recipe takes the best of these both to create a Thandai powder recipe that is not only easy, but has ingredients that I have on hand all the time. The beauty of this recipe is how adaptable it is.
With the Thandai powder I create the most incredible White Chocolate & Thandai cookies. Trust me when I say that this might be the BEST use of the Thandai powder possible.
What is Thandai
Thandai is an Indian chilled drink made from milk and a variety of nuts and spices. Thandai literally means ‘chilled’ in Hindi. There are a number of different ways to make Thandai, most commonly featuring some ratio of cardamom, saffron, almond, pepper, fennel, and rose. Typically in India this drink is served during the festivals of Mahashivratri (Celebrating the birthday of Lord Shiva) or Holi (Celebrating the festival of Color) in the Northern regions of India. At home, we would drink Thandai during the summer months in Australia where the dry heat would really hurt!
How to make Thandai Powder?
A literal combination of nuts and spices, this is one of the simplest and most interesting spice blends possible. All you need to do is combine all the ingredients and grind them together until they form a fine powder.
With this powder you can make my amazing cookies, OR mix it into milk for a classic Thandai drink. I also mix the powder into my oats for a really unique take on breakfast – it’s all round delicious!
Here is the recipe for my amazing Thandai mix!
Thandai Powder
Equipment
- Oven
- Cookie scoops
- Stand mixer or handheld beater
- Baking trays
Ingredients
- ½ cup almonds
- ½ cup cashews
- 1 tbsp. cardamom pods roughly 25-30 pods
- 1 tbsp. whole fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp. white poppy seeds
- ½ tsp saffron strands
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp whole black pepper
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a spice grinder, coffee grinder (cleaned!) or a nutri-bullet (not sponsored!)
- Grind all the ingredients until it becomes a soft fine powder
- Store in a air-tight container and leave in a cool dry space for up to 2 months. If you want it to last longer, freeze the powder
I love this easy recipe and I love how simply it comes together. Share your photos of Thandai with me @theminiaturelife on Instagram!
