Here we are again. Not at a moment of truth or any such life-altering epiphany, admittedly. But this is the time when life starts revolving around a weather app, constant checks for a spell of refreshing rain and praying for the heat to subside. Yes, we are at the onset of the great Indian summer, and trust me when I say, “there is nothing quite like it”.
An Indian summer is characterised by a great many things. Some beautiful, some tawdry, and a few very strained conversations revolving around the status of the “Celsius”. If only I had a dime (or a rupee) for every time a conversation started with “So, where’s the mercury at in your city?” But then, there is also the beauty of pink and purple blossoms studding the sidewalks, the joy of ice cream trucks, children’s pool parties, and much-awaited vacations that include a mandatory trip to granny’s. And oh, before I lose my train of thought thanks to the rising mercury, the onset of an Indian summer is also the time for the festival of colours: Holi, and its highlight – thandai !
As we all know, Holi is the season and reason for every Indian to let loose their inner “Hrithik and Katrina”. While some of us may be clad in designer linen shorts and aviators, shaking our collective urban booty to the tune of ‘Badri Ki Dulhania’, interspersed with Beyonce and Adele, our more robust, rustic friends live it up with iconic ‘Rang Barse’. However, whatever tune we groove in time to, there is one thing that will be common across the country that day – thandai .
India has devised its own ways to stay thanda aka cool through the scorching summers. Between playing with rainbow-hued abeer (coloured powder) and friendly water balloon fights, between dancing and piles of gujiya, “ kuch thanda ho jaaye ” is an oft-repeated phrase though the day. Ergo – the life saver, the party “pepper” thandai.
Thandai , as the name suggests, comes from the word thanda (cool). An age-old drink that, according to legend, is Lord Shiva’s beverage of choice, thandai was popularised in North India around 1903.
Originally, thandai was a fruit and spice-based drink, not the milky-spiced concoction we are used to today. But, over the years, the original recipe has been altered to suit whims and moods, besides tastes and trends.
This love for thandai begins during Maha Shivratri and culminates in a heady climax on Holi. If you were to take a poll, Varanasi would be the best place to enjoy an authentic glass of thandai .
But, come Holi, everyone, from lone tourists to local gourmets, feel that celebrations are incomplete without a kulhar (terracotta cup) of the tantalisingly aromatic beverage that reportedly offers an instant energy boost.
Hailing from Odisha, the eastern part of India, I can’t really say that thandai was a part of my childhood Holi celebrations. But over the years, I have developed my own recipe, which my family and friends love.
Usually, thandai masala is a mix of fragrant spices with inherent cooling properties as per Ayurveda. Blended with water, milk and even some fruit juice, thandai is a delight. Dry fruits such as almonds, cashews and pistachios are often paired with watermelon and musk melon seeds, poppy, fennel, cardamom, nutmeg, and peppercorn, and ground. This is then added to soaked saffron strands and rose petals. Then it is further ground with a mortar and pestle.
One teaspoon of this aromatic thandai masala can turn your daily glass of milk into a celebratory affair. Usually for our Holi soirees, we serve these with milk.
Sometimes, I make a separate blend with just almond in the masala ; other times, I use only pistachio. Either way, this thandai masala , when blended with milk, ice and bhang , becomes irresistable.
If like me you are intolerant to or can’t get hold of bhang, you can substitute it with white rum, vodka or gin for an adult version. Serve it in big brass tumblers like my grandma used to.
Alternatively use small shot glasses, and team it with happy toasts to life, group hugs and loads of dancing for a memorable party.
Heck, if you are anything like me, you might just sneak downstairs in the middle of the night and sit down with a cold glass of thandai as you ponder over the next blog post.
Thandai sherbet recipe
Ingredients
2 cups milk
1 cup water
2 tbsp sugar, more if you prefer it sweeter
2 tbsp thandai masala
Cardamom, rose petal, saffron for garnish
Method
In a sauce pan, add the milk, water and sugar. Add the thandai masala and let it come to a boil. Then reduce flame and simmer for 10 minutes.
Let it cool to room temperature. When cool enough, either strain the milk using a muslin cloth or leave it as it is, depending on how you like it. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Garnish with rose petals, saffron and cardamom.
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Thandai shots recipe
Ingredients
1 cup thandai sherbat
45 ml gin per glass (or bhang for a traditional touch)
Lots of ice
Method
Add 45 ml of gin/vodka/white rum to the thandai sherbat and serve chilled. You can rim the shot glasses with colourful sprinkles to give it a festive Holi vibe.
The writer is a food blogger and food stylist. A banker by profession, she shares her love for cooking and storytelling through recipes on her blog.
