Mumbai: Holi is a festival of colours, dance and super cool thandai in Indian families. After a splash of colours and some dancing, people make arrangements for food in every Holi party. The delicacies made on this day such as pua (pancakes), dahi vada, chole and gujiya are the traditional hot favourites among revelers. But with changing climate conditions, Mumbaikars are looking for something soothing and cool and nothing can be better than the Thandai of MM Mithaiwala- one of the most popular sweet store located at Malad (west), in Mumbai.
Manmohan Gupta, owner, MM Mithaiwala says “Thandai is made using saunf, mishri, elaichi, khajur, kalimirch, pista, khus, milk, cream, saffron, pista and badam and is traditionally green in colour. All these ingredients are boiled with milk and then cooled which is served in a special silver tumbler.”
Dial-a-thandai- 28899501
Make Thandai at home
Ingredients
1 1/2 litres water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 tbsp almonds
1 tbsp watermelon or papaya seeds
1/2 tbsp khuskhus (poppy seeds)
1/2 tbsp saunf (aniseed)
1/2 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder
1/2 tsp rose water (optional)
1 tsp peppercorns, whole
1/4 cup dried or fresh rose petals
Method
1. Soak sugar in 1/2 litre of water. Keep aside.
2. Wash all the dry ingredients, except elaichi.
3. Soak in 2 cups of water. Keep aside. Allow all soaked items to stand for at least two hours.
4. Grind all soaked ingredients to a very fine paste. Use a stone grinder if possible.
5. When the paste is very fine, mix the remaining water.
6. Place a strong muslin strainer over a large, deep vessel. Or tie a strong muslin cloth over the rim of the vessel to strain.
7. Put the paste in this strainer and press with the back of the palms, collecting the liquid into the vessel.
8. Add the remaining water, a little at a time, to make it more liquid.
9. Pour back some of the extract and press once again.
10. Repeat this process till the residue becomes dry and husk-like.
11. Add milk, sugar, elaichi powder and rosewater to the extracted liquid.
12. Boil the milk and then chill for two hours before serving.
