Level Up Holi With This Delicious Homemade Rose Thandai Recipe

One of the most awaited festivals of the year is tomorrow and we all know that no Holi celebration is complete without a sip of a refreshing glass of Thandai. Honestly, nothing beats the summer heat better than this awesome Homemade Rose Thandai! 

Holi has been celebrated in India since time immemorial and it gives people a chance to let loose and enjoy themselves. What enhances the spirit of Holi is the tradition of drinking Thandai along with other delicacies such as gujiya, mathri, malpua, puranpoli, dahi vadas, etc.

As the name suggests, Thandai is a refreshing milk beverage which helps you cool your system almost instantly and serves as a quick source of energy in this scorching summer heat. So let’s #LevelUp this Holi by preparing some homemade Rose Thandai with natural ingredients!

What You Will Need

• Skimmed Milk – 1 ½ liter 
• Blanched Almonds – ¾th cup 
• Poppy Seeds – 3-4 tbsp 
• Blanched Pistachios – 3-4 tbsp 
• Soaked Melon Seeds – 3 tbsp 
• Cardamoms – 4-5 green 
• Black Peppercorns – 8-10 
• Dried Rose Petals – 1-2 tbsp 
• Cinnamon – 1 inch 
• Saffron – ½ tsp 
• Sugar – 1 cup 
• Chia Seeds (optional) – 1-2 tsp  

For Serving & Garnishing:

• Kulhads (clay mugs) 
• Finely Chopped Pistachios 
• Rose Petals 

How to Prepare 

1. Pour milk in a pan and bring it to boil. Keep stirring it. 
2. On the side, add the almonds, pistachios, poppy seeds, melon seeds and 2-3 tbsp of warm milk to the grinder jar and grind it till it turns into a smooth paste. Take that paste out into a bowl.
3. In the grinder jar, add the green cardamoms, black peppercorns, rose petals and cinnamon. Grind them till it turns into a fine powder.
4. Add saffron to the milk followed by sugar and stir till the sugar melts. 
5. Add the smooth paste of nuts and seeds and mix it well. 
6. Add the dry powder of spices with rose petals and let it boil for 5 minutes. 
7. Pour it all into a jar or a vessel and add the chia seeds once the milk is at room temperature and not hot.  
8. Let it cool in the refrigerator.  
9. Serve it chilled in kulhads and garnish with finely chopped pistachios and rose petals.

Nutritional Benefits of the Homemade Rose Thandai 

Each ingredient added to this recipe has its own importance and all together, this is one of the healthiest drinks out there. 

• Milk is the best source of calcium and good quality protein. Along with these, it also has zinc and phosphorus. Cold milk also acts as an antacid.
• Almonds, melon seeds, cashews and pistachios are loaded with healthy fats, magnesium & acts as a good quality source of protein.
• The spices used are packed with nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, calcium and iron. They have antioxidants which helps one stay away from diseases.
• Poppy seeds are a good source of iron, phosphorus and fiber along with Vitamin B and linoleic acid.
• Saffron provides antioxidants. It is a potent antidepressant, antiseptic and is good for digestion. 
• Rose Petals are rich in Vitamin C, D, E & K along with malic acid and pectic which helps in building immunity. Most importantly, it strengthens the digestive function and gives a cooling effect to the body.

If you want to make this recipe healthier, you can add fennel seeds instead of rose petals. It would be wise to choose Thandai without Bhang. Do try this nutrient-loaded recipe and let us know what you think about it in the comments below! For hair and skincare tips, how to prepare your own colors and post celebration detox tips, tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.  

Wish you all a Happy Holi! 

#BeTheForce