Thandai (Holi Spiced Almond Milk)
The festive drink of Holi: chilled milk blended with a fragrant paste of almonds, fennel, melon seeds, black pepper, cardamom and rose petals. Cooling, rich and beautifully aromatic.
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Start your free weekContinue with free accessSoak
Soak the almonds, melon seeds, fennel, poppy seeds, peppercorns, cardamom and rose petals in 120ml warm water for at least 2 hours.
Grind to a paste
Grind everything with the soaking water to a very fine paste.
Mix with milk
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Strain and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Soak
Soak the almonds, melon seeds, fennel, poppy seeds, peppercorns, cardamom and rose petals in 120ml warm water for at least 2 hours.
Grind to a paste
Grind everything with the soaking water to a very fine paste.
Mix with milk
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Strain and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Thandai — from 'thanda', meaning cold — has long been the drink of Holi, the spring festival of colours, and of Maha Shivaratri. Its cooling spices and nuts were believed to soothe the body as summer approached.
In Varanasi, it's sold in large clay cups from shops that have made it for generations.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Fragrant, cooling and festive, thandai is how India toasts the arrival of spring.
💡 Fun Fact
Despite its creamy richness, thandai contains no cream at all — the body comes from ground nuts and seeds.
Varanasi & Rajasthan
25.32°N, 82.97°E
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