Thandai | Holi Special |Mahashivaratri Spl

Holi is one colorful festival of India when we see real colors filling around and people being colored till they can’t even recognize who they are 😛 I love to celebrate holi when I was a Kid, My father used to color as with some pakka colors and we had spots n our face even after 2-3 days and we used to go to school as the pediatricians going used to stare at us But those were the fun days as I grew my preferences and choice changed and  I didn’t want to get stared by people while walking on the road and become a viewer of this festival. But still I like if some gulal is applied which causes less stains in our face and that too only On my chicks.  
After Marriage I came to know My H didn’t love to get colored too and so we joined and started enjoying holi festival as a viewer while our family members used to play with colors. Even though we never colored we enjoyed the snacks and drinks made for the festival , Especially I enjoyed drinking Thandai. Thandai Is one delicious spiced and rich , refreshing drink which is prepared all festival in our custom .. If we organize any function at Home most often we have this as a welcome drink in our family. This is popular drink of rajasthan made with dryfruits and saffron strands spiced with pepper corns . This is most popularly prepared for Mahashivaratri in north and for Holi the youngsters Mix in some “Bhang” ( From the cannabis plant ) to make them dance and have fun. Happy Holi to all 🙂

Ingredients 

Milk – 3 cups + 1/4 cup
Almonds – 15 Nos ( blanch them and remove the skin)
Cashews – 15 Nos
Poppy seeds – 2 tbsp
Melon Seeds/ Charmagaz – 3 Tbsp
Pepper Corn – 6-7 Nos
Sounf / Fennel Seeds – 2 tbsp
Saffron Strands – Few
Cardamon pd – A pinch
Rose essence – Few Drops ( Optional)
Pistachios – For garnish ( Chopped)
Sugar – 2-3 Tbsp ( Adjust to your taste)

Method

• In a separate bowls soak almonds, cashews,poppy seeds, melon seeds, fennel seeds for 2 hours in a little amount of water.
• Now drain the water from all the ingredients and put them in a blender, add pepper corn, cardamon pd and 1/4 milk and grind them to a fine paste.
• In a sauce pan heat 3 cups of Milk till  it boils , add saffron strands to it and mix well.
• Once the milk boils turn off the flame and mix in the sugar.
• Let the cool down completely to room temperature.
• Add the ground mixer / paste and Mix them well.
• Let the ground mixer stand in milk for about 1-2 hours so that all the flavors are absorbed into the milk.
• After 1- 2 hours strain the milk with fine strainer 2 twice and remove the pd particles.

• Chill the Milk and garnish them with some pistachios and saffron strands.