When I was about 13, I had gone to India to visit family and it happened to be around the time of MahaShivratri. Thandai is a popular beverage to have during Shivratri and Holi and I remember having many glasses of this delectable drink during my visit. Not only does Thandai taste delicious, it also has many health benefits. One of the main ones being it’s a cooling agent for your body and therefore, mostly drunk during the summer months.
WHAT IS THANDAI MASALA MADE OF?
The masala or powder itself is made of cashews, almonds, pistachios, cardamom, black peppercorn, melon seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, saffron, and dried rose petals. To save time, I grind all of the ingredients into a powder and save it in an airtight container to use when I’m in the mood to drink some Thandai.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS?
Yep. There are so many health benefits to drinking this wonderful Thandai. Did you know that it is more often made and drunk during the summer months because the ingredients help cool the body temp down? There’s more! Take a look:
- Poppy seeds which are rich in protein, fiber, calcium, and mineral that help boost the immune system, also help GI irritation, and prevent constipation.
- Melon or Pumpkin seeds which are added help keep the body temp cool, and these seeds are natural energizers.
- Peppercorns help boost immunity
- Cardamom helps fight off infection, detoxifies the body, and is a great source to fight against nausea and vomiting
Now that you have your powder made, it’s just as easy to make the Thandai drink. Take a glass of milk, add 1 Tbsp of the masala to it and some sweetener if you choose. Heat it in a pan and make sure everything is combined. Strain into a mug and drink it warm or cold. Both ways taste delicious.
From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this delicious Thandai Masala.
Thandai Masala
Ingredients
- 1/2 c cashews
- 1/4 c almonds
- 8 pistachios
- 15 peppercorn
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 Tbsp melon seeds
- 2 Tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 Tbsp saffron
- 2 Tbsp dried rose petals
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients into a spice grinder and blend into a smooth powder.
- Store in an airtight jar.
Here are the tools I used for this recipe:
[…] appearance of the traditional gujiya (and definitely no deep frying). For the filling, I used thandai masala, jaggery, and coconut. To me, nothing says Holi like thandai. It actually has a lot of benefits […]
I tried your recipe. It’s soooooo delicious. Thanks Sapna.
[…] Arrowroot Powder – this acts as a thickening agent. Agave – for that hint of sweet Thandai Masala – this is going to lend that brilliant aromatic and floral flavor to the custard Saffron […]
Holi moly, this looks delish!
It will make a great summer drink. Thanks Sapna for this recipe.