Why buy thandai from the supermarket when you can make it at home?

There’s nothing quite like a refreshing glass of thandai on a warm Summer evening. And, I’m sure your refrigerator is stocked with thandai bottles. But, why buy processed stuff when you can make it at home? The freshness in home-made thandai is so epic you will never buy supermarket thandai ever again. Here is a recipe for kesariya thandai concentrate.

Ingredients

3 tbsp - Almonds (to be soaked)

1 tbsp - Pistachio

1 tbsp - Cashewnuts

1 tbsp - Poppy seeds

1 tbsp - Melon seeds

1 1/2 cup - Sugar

2 tbsp - Gulkand/Rose Petal Preserve

1 1/2 tsp - Pepper (or less if you wish)

6 - cardamom pods

1 tsp - Rose water

1/2 tsp - Saffron (to be soaked in 1 tbsp water for 30 minutes)

Method

* In a bowl, soak the almonds and saffron in a cup of water and keep aside for 4 hours. Overnight is best.

* Add the soaked mix to a blender along with pepper, cardamom, rose water, gulkand. Blend to a smooth paste.

* Heat a saucepan, add the sugar along with a cup of water. Once the sugar dissolves, add the saffron along with the paste. Stir well and cook for 15 minutes. (I like my concentrate on the thin side, so I keep adding some water if it gets too thick. Once cooked for 15 minutes, let it cool to room temperature.)

* For making thandai, take 1 cup of milk and about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of the concentrate and give a whisk.

* Serve cold!

Notes: If you make your concentrate thin, you would need to add less of it while making thandai. Totally up to you.