Kesar Thandai

Kesar Thandai – a cooling drink made with milk, dry fruits, spices and saffron, especially for Holi.

Holi, the festival of colours is here and the major highlight  of every festival in India is the food. Every festival has some traditional food being made specially on that day. For Holi, the traditional dishes are puranpoli, kesar thandai, shrikhand, malpuas etc.  

Thandai is a special drink made during festivals like Holi and Shivratri. Kesar Thandai is made by boiling milk with a mixture of dry fruits, fennel seeds, black pepper,fennel seeds, saffron etc. 

List of ingredients to make Kesar Thandai

Milk

Dry fruits: almonds, cashewnuts, pistachios, watermelon seeds,

Spices : black peppercorns,fennel seeds, poppy seeds

Sugar

Flavouring ingredients: cardamom, saffron

Garnishing: almond slivers, pistachio slivers and dried rose petals

How to make Kesar Thandai

To make the thandai masala, soak almonds, cashewnuts, pistachios, watermelon seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, black peppercorns in a bowl of water, for 4 to 5 hours. After 5 hours, drain the water  and grind all the ingredients to a fine paste.  This is the thandai masala. Keep this aside.

In a bowl, take 2 tbsp warm milk. Add a big pinch of saffron to it and keep it aside for an hour.

Heat the milk in a thick bottomed pan. When the milk starts boiling, add sugar.  Keep stirring till the sugar dissolves. Add the thandai masala, and keep mixing till the masala blends well with the milk.

Add the saffron milk mixture, cardamom powder and give a good mix.  Turn off the flame. Allow the thandai to cool completely. Refrigerate and serve chilled. While serving, garnish the thandai with almond, pistachio slivers and dried rose petals.

Recipe Card

Kesar Thandai

A cooling drink made with milk, dry fruits, spices, saffron etc. especially during Holi.
Course Drinks
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Holi recipes, Kesar thandai, thandai, Thandai recipes
Prep Time 5 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1.5 litres milk (doodh)
  • 10 to 15 almonds (badam)
  • 10 to 15 cashew nuts (kaju)
  • 10 to 15 pistachios (pista)
  • 1 tbsp watermelon seeds (magaz)
  • 2 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds (khuskhus)
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns (kali mirch)
  • ½ cup of sugar  (cheeni)
  • A big pinch of saffron (kesar)
  • 1 tsp of cardamom powder (elaichi powder)

For garnishing

  • Almond slivers (badam ke barik tukde)
  • Pistachio slivers (pista ke barik tukde)
  • Dried rose petals (gulab ke sookhe pankhudiya)

Instructions

  • Soak almonds, cashewnuts, pistachios, watermelon seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, black peppercorns in a bowl of water, for 4 to 5 hours.
  • After 5 hours, drain the water  and grind all the ingredients to a fine paste.  This is the thandai masala.
  • In a bowl, take 2 tbsp warm milk.
  • Add a big pinch of saffron to it and keep it aside for an hour.
  • Heat the milk in a thick bottomed pan.
  • When the milk starts boiling, add sugar. 
  • Keep stirring till the sugar dissolves.
  • Add the thandai masala, and keep mixing till the masala blends well with the milk.
  • Add the saffron milk mixture, cardamom powder and give a good mix. Turn off the flame.
  • Allow the thandai to cool completely.
  • Refrigerate and serve chilled.
  • While serving, garnish the thandai with almond, pistachio slivers and dried rose petals.

Recipe Video

More Holi Recipes

Motichoor Thandai Rabdi Trifle
Thandai Phirni
Matar Kachori
Methi Namakpare
Dryfruits Shrikhand
Puranpoli
Telpoli

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