Get high on Holi

With Holi around the corner, it's that time of the year when thandais are in vogue. Some like it with bhang. Others prefer playing it safe. If you fall under the latter bracket, but would still like to feel a light buzz, make the kokum thandai cocktail that Abhijeet Badatya, bartender at Grand Hyatt Goa, has created. "We use vodka as the liquor since it doesn't change the taste of the thandai," Badatya says.

Kokum thandai cocktail
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
For the powder mix

• 1/2 tbs cardamom powder or 2-3 pods of green cardamom
• 1 tbs poppy seeds
• 2 tbs fennel seeds
• 1/2 tbs black peppercorns
• Saffron (optional)
• 2 tbs roasted watermelon seeds or sunflower seeds
• A pinch of nutmeg
• For the drink
• Half cup kokum syrup
• 60 ml vodka
• 750 ml almond milk
• 2 tbs raw sugar or palm sugar to taste
• For garnishing
• 1 tsp kokum syrup
• Nutmeg

Instructions

• Soak kokum in water for two hours prior serving.
• Roast spices and seeds lightly on a tawa.
• Grind the roasted mix into a fine paste.
• Add saffron and a pinch of nutmeg to the paste.
• Add kokum infused water to the paste.
• Muddle the paste with almond milk.
• Shake vodka and ice and mix it well with the muddled mixture
• Serve the same in a margarita glass, garnishing it with nutmeg and kokum syrup.

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