Invoke the best of an Indian summer by sipping on a refreshing glass of vegan Thandai!
Drinking a Thandai is like drinking an Indian sweet right out of a glass. This milk drink, infused with cooling spices, nuts and the delicate flavors of saffron and rose water, is especially popular at Holi, the Indian festival of colors, which celebrates the arrival of summer. For my vegan Thandai I infuse the spices and nuts with creamy oat milk and a touch of vanilla. No one you serve it to will be able to tell the difference, although you just might not want to share. 😉
The north Indian festival of colors, Holi, is a time to let your hair down and go full-throttle, not just with the colors you'd smear unabashedly on friend and foe alike, but also with the food and drink.
There are perhaps as many sweet and savory edibles associated with Holi as there are colors in our world, and we have vegan versions of many of them on this blog, including kachori, dahi bhalla, vegan phirni, vegan malpua and vegan gulab jamun, among others. But one of my favorite foods to make around this time of year, not just because it's so delicious and so timely but also because it's so good for you, is this Vegan Thandai.
What is a Thandai?
A Thandai translates from Hindi into a "cooling drink" and that's exactly what this is. Traditionally, in the north of India, a thandai is sipped to celebrate the advent of summer, which can be unusually harsh in that part of the world, and to keep one healthy and fit throughout the season.
A version of Thandai consumed for Holi incorporates "bhang," a paste made from the leaves of the cannabis plant. Although cannabis is illegal in India, the traditional popularity of bhang during Holi has led to the government licensing shops in parts of north India where anyone can buy and consume it. Talk of religious loopholes. 😉
Why you will love this vegan Thandai
- It's delicious. There's no bhang in my vegan Thandai but it will still hook you and reel you in. The drink is refreshingly creamy and sweet and packed with layers of flavor from nuts like almonds, cashews and pistachios and spices like fennel, poppy seeds, peppercorns and a dash of saffron.
- It's healthy. You heard that right. A Thandai is designed with specific ingredients that, together, do all sorts of good things to your body, like cool you down, improve your digestion, and infuse you with stamina. Yes, there are a few spoonfuls of sugar in this recipe but that only makes this delicious concoction go down even more delicously. And if you are a stickler you can replace the sugar with dates or maple syrup or a sweetener like stevia or erythritol.
- It's easy to make. Most of the work here is measuring and putting the ingredients in a blender, and warming the milk. It's incredibly easy and quite fool-proof.
- It's everyone friendly. This vegan Thandai recipe is gluten-free and soy-free. If you are nut-free you can skip the nuts and use more pumpkin seeds (or watermelon seeds if you have them).
Ingredients
- ½ cup blanched almonds
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup raw pistachios
- 2 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds (or watermelon seeds)
- 2 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds. Try and use the white poppy seeds (khus khus) that are typically used in Indian cuisine. These are available online and I will leave an affiliate link in the recipe card but you will get a better price at an Indian store.
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon saffron strands
- 12 green cardamom pods (peeled, use the seeds only)
- ¼ cup rose water
- 6 cups oat milk. Almond milk is okay but not desirable because it is very thin and doesn't have the right texture. Also you need to boil the milk and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes with the thandai masala and almond milk can split easily when boiled. Oat milk works perfectly and has the right flavor as well.
- ½ cup sugar. Start by adding ¼ cup, taste, and add more if needed. You can add more than ½ cup if you like the thandai very sweet, but for me ½ cup hits the sweet spot.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. This helps round out the flavors so be sure to use it.
- A few more chopped nuts and saffron strands for garnish (optional). You can also scatter dried rose petals or chopped dry fruits for a truly festive touch.
How to make Thandai
Make the Thandai Masala
- If you only have almonds with the skin on, blanch them by soaking the nuts in boiling water for ½ hour. Drain and peel--the skins should pop out quite easily.
- Place all the nuts, pumpkin seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, peppercorns, saffron, cardamom seeds, rosewater and ½ cup of oat milk in a blender.
- Blend into a coarse paste. This Thandai Masala can be made up to three days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. I'll also give you instructions below on making a dry Thandai Masala that can be stored for longer.
- To make the vegan Thandai, place the remaining oat milk in a saucepan. Add the Thandai Masala and mix well. Bring the oat milk to a boil over medium-low heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the milk and nuts and spices infuse for 8 minutes. Stir frequently to ensure nothing sticks.
- Stir in the sugar, turn off the heat, then add the pure vanilla extract and mix.
- Strain the Thandai using a fine mesh strainer. Chill.
- Serve garnished, if you wish, with more nuts and strands of saffron.
How to make a powdered Thandai Masala for longer-term storage
- To make a powdered thandai masala, use storebought blanched almonds rather than making your own.
- Place the almonds along with the other nuts, seeds, peppercorns and cardamom in a dry skillet over low heat.
- Roast for 5 minutes or until the mixture is aromatic and barely changing color.
- Remove to a plate and let the nuts and spices cool.
- Place in a blender or spice grinder and blend to a fine powder.
- You can store this powder in a cool, dark place for up to three months. Even better, store it in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are nut-free, replace the nuts with ¾ cup pumpkin seeds. You can also use a mix of pumpkin and watermelon seeds. Proceed.
You can make this up to three days ahead and store it in the fridge.
You can substitute the sugar with stevia or erythritol or monk fruit sweetener. Or you can add 12 or more dates to the blender when you make the thandai masala. Keep in mind this will change the color of the thandai from a pale green-yellow to a darker shade.
Yes absolutely! You can serve the thandai chilled for dessert. Or top with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for a treat your kids will love.
More vegan drinks you might like
Vegan Thandai
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- ½ cup blanched almonds (you can buy the almonds already blanched or blanch them yourself. To blanch almonds with the skin on, soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain and peel.)
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup raw pistachios
- 2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds (or watermelon seeds)
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon saffron
- 12 green cardamom pods (use the seeds only)
- ¼ cup rose water
- 6 cups oat milk
- ½ cup sugar (Start by adding ¼ cup, taste, and add more if needed. You can add more than ½ cup if you like the thandai very sweet, but for me ½ cup for 6 servings hits the sweet spot.)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place all the nuts, pumpkin seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, peppercorns, saffron, cardamom seeds, rosewater and ½ cup of oat milk in a blender.
- Blend into a coarse paste. This Thandai Masala can be made up to three days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. For instructions on how to make a dry Thandai masala that can be stored for longer see notes.
- To make the vegan Thandai, place the remaining oat milk in a saucepan. Add the Thandai Masala and mix well. Bring the oat milk to a boil over medium-low heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the milk and nuts and spices infuse for 8 minutes. Stir frequently to ensure nothing sticks.
- Stir in the sugar, turn off the heat, then add the pure vanilla extract and mix.
- Strain the Thandai using a fine mesh strainer. Chill.
- Serve garnished, if you wish, with more nuts and strands of saffron.
Recipe notes
- Nutritional facts include nuts but keep in mind that some of these values could be lower, including the total calorie count, because a lot of the solid matter of the nuts is strained out.
- You can make the thandal up to three days ahead and store it in the fridge.
- To make a powdered thandai masala for longer-term storage, use storebought blanched almonds rather than making your own. Place the almonds along with the other nuts, seeds, peppercorns and cardamom in a dry skillet over low heat. Roast for 5 minutes or until the mixture is aromatic and barely changing color. Remove to a plate and let the nuts and spices cool. Place in a blender or spice grinder and blend to a fine powder. You can store this powder in a cool, dark place for up to three months.
- If you are nut-free, replace the nuts with ¾ cup pumpkin seeds. You can also use a mix of pumpkin and watermelon seeds. Proceed.
- You can substitute the sugar with stevia or erythritol or monk fruit sweetener. Or you can add 12 or more dates to the blender when you make the thandai masala. Keep in mind this will change the color of the thandai from a pale green-yellow to a darker shade.
Babette
So thrilled to have found this delicious recipe. It's not summer but I've been making it almost every week. My kids love it, and I can't get enough either. And it's healthy as well which is great.
nalini
Where can one find rose water? thanks.
Vaishali
Hi Nalini, If you live in the U.S. you could find it online or at an Indian grocery store. I do have an Amazon affiliate link in the recipe card but if you have access to an Indian or Pakistani store you are far more likely to get a better price. Make sure you check the label as not all rose water is edible.