Thandai - a must-try summer drink

Super delicious & super healthy

The time of the year has come when soups and stews are replaced with refreshing beverages in refrigerators. Summer and cold drinks are practically synonymous in any part of the world. So, as the season begins to change and we welcome hot days for the next few months, I will share with you some replenishing summer drinks. I hope each one of you finds your spirit-drink this summer!

Thandai 

Thandai is derived from the Hindi word 'Thanda' or 'Thand' which literally means cold or coldness. As the etymology indicates, this drink, with its myriad goodness of Ayurveda, is more than a drink to just quench your thirst.

The most common variants of Thandai are Classic Thandai or Bhang (Cannabis) Thandai. This is an age-old drink often associated with the Indian festival of colors - Holi. In fact, Bhang Thandai is closely associated to the Hindu God Shiva and is believed to be his beverage of choice. There are many legendary stories and explanations as to why Lord Shiva is associated with this intoxicated drink. Interestingly, even today where cannabis leaves are not rampantly available to all, Bhang Thandai is consumed in large amounts in Northern India in the name of divine intoxication or just to escalate the spirit of festivities.

Benefits of Classic Thandai : 

I am however sharing with you, the classic (non-intoxicated) Thandai recipe prepared with a variety of nuts and spices. A mixture of nuts like almonds, pistachios, cashews and melon seeds give the drink a richness and rejuvenates your body with instant energy. Ingredients like poppy seeds, fennel seeds and rose petals are natural coolants and regulates our body temperature. In addition, they aid in digestion and alleviate problems of flatulence and constipation. Additionally, to compensate for the nutrient-loaded nuts, black peppercorns, cardamom and saffron are added to make it easily digestible. These spices are natural immunity-boosters and enhance our bodies' anti-bacterial strength, prevent infections and common-cold and detoxify the body. Cardamom also acts as a mouth freshener. Overall, this balanced aromatic beverage is a therapeutic drink for your health.

I personally have many childhood memories of my family enjoying Thandai together on summer days. I remember, we used to buy a Thandai concentrate /syrup from the stores and occasionally also prepared it at home. Naturally, it is not easy to find good-quality Thandai syrups in market today and if you're outside India, there is no question! This summer, don't miss out on this Thandai recipe !!

This sweet-cum-spicy home-made syrup recipe brought back memories of Indian summers and I have pledged to stock up my refrigerator with THANDAI all summer !

THE RECIPE

Category: Beverage

Style: Indian

Servings: 1/2 liter concentrate

Ingredients:

 - 2 tablespoons almonds

 - 1 tablespoon cashews

 - 1 tablespoon pistachios

 - 1 tablespoon melon seeds

 - 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, optional (I did not use it because of unavailability)

 - 5-6 green cardamoms

 - 6-7 saffron strands, skip if unavailable

 - 1 tablespoon pink rose petals

 - 1 tablespoon rose water

 -  250 grams sugar

 - 400 ml water

Instructions:

1. Soak the almonds, cashews, pistachios, melon seeds, peppercorns, poppy seeds, cardamoms, saffron and rose petals in cold water for 7-8 hours.

2. After 8 hours, add the rose water and grind the soaked nuts with a mixer into a smooth and thick paste.

3. Heat a deep-bottomed pan and add water and sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved fully.

4. Add the ground dry fruits and spices paste to this sugar syrup and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once a while in between.

5. Adjust the amount of water after 15 minutes if the mixture is too thick. The aim is to achieve a pour-able concentrate.

6. Cool this Thandai concentrate and storage it in an air-tight glass bottle up to 30 days.

7. To make the drink, add 2 tablespoons of the Thandai concentrate to one glass of chilled milk. Garnish with nuts or serve with ice.

Notes:

 - Vegans can substitute milk with coconut or almond milk.

 - Add in more of the Thandai syrup to suit your taste-buds!