Add a rangeen twist to your thandai this Holi
For the festival of colours, don't forget to have an ample supply of mithai on hand. Here are some thandai-inspired desserts
Holi is right around the corner and thandai has become synonymous with the festival of colours. A traditional Indian beverage originating from the Northern parts of India, the word ‘thandai’ literally translates to "cooling" in Hindi. It is a refreshing drink for the hot summer months and is rich with spices and dry fruits, making it perfect for this festival.
It is made by blending milk and sugar with nuts such as almonds, cashews, and pistachios. Melon seeds and poppy seeds along with a variety of aromatic spices such as cardamom, fennel seeds, black pepper, and saffron, are blended together, strained and served chilled. While glasses of thandai are passed around Holi parties in abundance, there are several innovative ways that you can add this traditional drink to your menu. Chefs from around the country share some creative desserts options for this festival:
Rose Thandai
Adding a rosy twist to the classic thandai suggests Gaurav Ramamkrishnan, head chef, Hyatt Centric Mg Road Bangalore, Bengaluru. Make a rose syrup by infusing rose petals in a sugar syrup. You can also add a dash of rose to the sugar syrup. In a tall glass, add milk, rum, thandai powder and rose syrup, and give it a mix. Garnish with dried rose petals and serve chilled.
Thandai Ladoo
Sweets is an inseparable part of Indian festivals and so Chef Raghvendra Singh from Meetha By Radisson created Thandai Ladoos: “To elevate traditional sweets with an exciting twist, these ladoos are infused with the rich essence of Thandai and offer a delightful fusion of flavours without the need for additional sugar.” Infuse the milk with any thandai mix and reduce the liquid until thick. Add to it cashews, almonds and pistachios. You can add other dried fruits of your choice and roll out small balls of the ladoo mixture.
Thandai Moti Pak
Made in desi ghee, Moti Pak is a classic Indian barfi made with besan, khoya and sugar. It is flavoured with saffron and cardamom, along with pistachios and almonds. Girish Nayak, Chief Mithaiwala at Bombay Sweet Shop, Mumbai, says, “Moti Paak, a saffron and Thandai flavoured barfi delicately layered with velvety white chocolate ganache and motichur. This allows us to present Indian sweets that are familiar yet new and exciting, perfect to indulge in during Holi celebrations.”
Thandai Kesar Pista Roll
Thandai provides refreshments and symbolises the spirit of celebration and togetherness. “The unique flavour of the thandai drink comes from a blend of nuts and spices along with saffron. The Kesar Pista Thandai Roll is a colourful twist on the classic Kaju Katli and is infused with the flavours of thandai and saffron,” says Girish Nayak, Chief Mithaiwala at Bombay Sweet Shop, Mumbai.
Thandai Mousse with Gulab Jamun
The smooth and creamy mousse base is made with a white chocolate ganache. Fold in a heavy cream and whipped cream to the ganache to make it light and airy. A thandai-infused syrup is added to the mousse to flavour it, shares Rajiv Das, Chef Executive, Radisson Blu Mumbai International Airport, Mumbai. Pipe it into individual glasses and chill the mousse till it sets. Before serving, place cubes of Gulab Jamun and garnish with slivered pistachio slices and silver vark.
Thandai Kalakand
For the festivities, quickly whip up a batch of thandai-flavoured kalakand. You can either make the thandai powder at home or use store-bought mix. “To make paneer at home, split full-fat milk with vinegar. Cook it on low flame along with condensed milk, and to it the thandai mix and rose water,” says Mumbai-based baker Swheta Mutreja. Soak saffron strands in warm milk and add it to the kalanad. Set it in a square container, slice it into pieces and garish it with chopped pistachios, almonds and dried Rose Petals.
Thandai popsicles
Holi marks the beginning of spring and the ‘raang’ that is thrown signifies the burst of colour that the season brings. To beat the heat, make a thandai popsicle that is cool and refreshing for your Holi party. Rajinder Sareen, Executive Chef, Sheraton Grand Pune Bund Garden Hotel, Pune, shares, “To milk, add sugar, Thandai powder and a handful of chopped nuts. Blend it and pour the milk mixture into the popsicle moulds. To garnish, add some Saffron strands and freeze.” To demould, run it under hot water and it will slide out easily.
Thandai teacake
A perfect accompaniment to chai, make a teacake inspired by the flavours of thandai by sifting together some flour, castor sugar, baking powder and baking soda, shares Mumbai-based baker Swheta Mutreja. To this, add the wet ingredients including yoghurt, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and rose water. Also, add the thandai powder mix and saffron strands infused milk, and give the batter a whisk. Place in a lined baking tin and bake till golden brown. Serve warm.
