Holi Special Drink – Sugar-Free Thandai Recipe
This homemade Thandai recipe is the perfect addition to your Holi celebrations and a refreshing way to cool down during the summer. Creamy and bursting with flavors, it’s made with a blend of nuts, seeds, and aromatic spices, making this drink absolutely irresistible!
How to make sugarfree Thandai with step by step photos:
Step 1: Prepare Thandai Masala
For soaking, take a bowl big enough to hold all the nuts and seeds. Put almonds, whole cashews, pistachios, raisins, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, netmug, watermelon seeds and poppy seeds(khus khus). You can replace the quantity of raisins with 1 tbsp of almond or other nuts of your choice. Add saffron strands too along with this to get the maximum out of this.
NOTE: If you want a sugar free version, soak 8-10 deseeded dates along with this.
Boil 1/2 cup of water and pour it into this bowl of nuts. Cover and keep it aside for 2 hours. Simultaneously, boil 1 litre of full cream milk. After its cooled, chill it in refrigerator.
Step 2: Prepare Thandai Masala
After 2 hours of soaking, transfer the soaked nuts and seeds to the mixer chutney jar along with water.
Pulse it 2-3 times. Add 1/4 cup of water to this and grind it to a smooth paste. This is the ‘Thandai Paste’.
Step 3: Prepare Thandai
Now, into a blender goes the remaining ingredients; ice cold milk (which you refrigerated), jaggery syrup, thandai paste and turmeric(optional). Blend it till everythings is well combined.
Now, you have to sieve this milkshake into a strainer. This step can be avoided, if you are using a good quality blender or if you are serving it to elders.
Depending on the quality of blender, is the amount of residue remains. Don’t worry, if you end up getting a lot of residue and you don’t feel like wasting it. I do have a bonus recipe for you. Check this out!!
Step 4: Serve
Pour this drink into a serving glass. Garnish it with chopped pistachios, rose petals or saffron strands. Serve chill!
Enjoy Holi with the traditional and delicious taste of homemade healthy Thandai!
You can also check out the reel for more clarity.
Substitution & Variations:
1. Badam Thandai Variation:
If you’d like to make Badam (almond) Thandai, replace other nuts like cashews and pistachios with almonds for a nutty, rich flavor.
2. Spicy Boost:
Double or triple the quantity of black pepper if you enjoy a stronger spicy kick in your Thandai.
3. Vegan Option:
For a vegan alternative, use almond milk instead of dairy milk. It complements the nutty flavor perfectly.
4. Turmeric Addition (Optional):
While turmeric is not traditionally included in Thandai, you can add a pinch for its immunity-boosting properties. This is entirely optional and adds a subtle earthy flavor.
5. Healthier Sweetener Choices:
Replace refined sugar with jaggery powder, date syrup, or honey for a healthier and more natural sweetness.
6. Adjust Consistency:
If you find the Thandai too thick, dilute it with water or more milk to achieve your desired consistency.
7. Saffron Tips:
Saffron is a luxury ingredient, and the amount can be adjusted to your preference. More saffron adds a rich golden color and an exquisite aroma.
Sugarfree Thandai Recipe| Flavoured Milkshake | Holi special
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp Jaggery Syrup/ more or less as per your choice
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- Pinch Saffron
- 1 Litre Milk
- 1/4 cup Water
For soaking: -
- 6 no Cashews, whole
- 12 nos. Almonds
- 1 tbsp Raisins
- 1 tbsp Pistachios
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds / khus khus
- 1 tbsp Watermelon seeds
- 8 nos Cardamoms
- 1/2 tsp Pepper Corns
- 1 tbsp Saunf (anise seeds)
- 2 tbsp Rose petals
- 1 inch Cinnamon Sticks
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Take a bowl. Add all the ingredients mentioned under soaking. Boil 1/2 cup of water and pour in this mixture. Cover and keep it aside. Let this soak for about 2 hours.
- Chill boiled and cooled milk in the refrigerator while the nuts are soaking.
- After 2 hours, transfer the soaked ingredients into a mixer jar along with saffron and remaining 1/4 cup of water.
- Grind this to a smooth paste.
- In a smoothie blender, pour ice cold milk, ground paste, jaggery syrup and turmeric powder(optional).
- Blend till well combined.
- Sieve the drink and serve chill. I got a lot of residue, so I reserved it to make something new.