Homemade Thandai Powder

Thandai Powder Recipe – A classic, aromatic and exotic Indian spice blend made with nuts, seeds and spices to flavor up milk, yogurt, cookies, cakes and desserts!

What is thandai powder?

Thandai is an authentic Indian milk-based cold drink. It is a rich and healthy drink and is often made during festivals such as Holi and Shivaratri. I have already posted a traditional thandai recipe on the blog, it requires soaking and grinding the ingredients and it is a bit of time taking. If you don’t have much time or you are a beginner, you can easily make thandai drink using this homemade thandai powder at any time.

You only need 5 minutes and good quality ingredients to make your homemade thandai masala at home. It is so fragrant and aromatic

Is it vegan?

Yes, this homemade spice mix is vegan. However, you will need to add it to plant-based milk to prepare vegan thandai.

Why you’ll love this recipe

It can be easily made at home in 5 minutes

Homemade and preservatives-free

So much better than store-bought ones.

Can easily adjust the ingredients to match your taste.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Almonds – Make sure you are using fine-quality almonds as these are the main ingredients.

Cashews – Good quality cashews will add richness and taste to the thandai. Swap them with almonds if you want.

Pistachios – Replace them with almonds if you want.

Melon Seeds – The traditional thandai requires melon seeds. You can swap them with pumpkin seeds or omit them.

Poppy Seeds – You can skip them but they will make the drink richer and creamier.

Fennel Seeds – It is also known as saunf. You can easily get it from any Indian store or online.

Black Peppercorns – I have used whole black pepper, if you don’t have whole black pepper in hand, replace it with ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper. Add more or less according to your taste.

Cardamom – I have used whole cardamom pods here. Substitute it with 1+½ teaspoons of cardamom seed powder. Add more or less according to your taste.

Saffron – It is completely optional. But I would suggest you not skip it.

Dried Rose Petals – I highly recommend using good quality edible rose petals, they are a lovely aroma to the thandai mix. If you don’t have them, add a little bit of rose water while making the thandai milk or whatever you are making. Do not add rose water directly to the thandai powder.

Storage

Store it in an airtight container for a couple of months. Make sure the container is dry and always use a dry spoon.

Uses of thandai powder

Thandai masala is so versatile and below are some ideas.

Add it to the milk to make instant thandai.

Can be added to Indian desserts such as kheer, rabdi, firni and kulfi.

It can also be added to flavor up your cereal, yogurt, cakes, cookies, cheesecakes and many more.

How to make thandai using thandai powder?

Heat 1 cup of milk and add a tablespoon of homemade thandai powder and required sugar to the hot milk. Strain if needed and serve immediately. If you want to serve it chilled, mix the powder with hot milk and let it cool completely. Chill it in the refrigerator and strain before serving.

Tips & Notes

Do not grind the ingredients for too long else nuts will release oils and it becomes a paste.

You can also dry the ingredients lightly to speed up the blending process and enhance the flavor. It is optional though.

You might love these recipes:

• Pistachio Lassi
• Mango Lassi Popsicles
• Shikanji
• Homemade Coriander Powder
• Besan Condensed Milk Burfi
• Carrot Coconut Milk Halwa
• Khoya Besan Laddu

How to make thandai powder recipe video below: