Coffee in your thandai? Put this and other playful twists on the Holi classic

Holi the festival of colours is here and celebrations are in order especially because people have had to settle for a subdued affair over the last two pandemichit years This festival is as much about the food and drink specialties as it is about celebrating with colours and waterWhile different kinds of food are distributed among friends and family members it is thandai among the drinks that takes centre stage The flavourful milkbased cold drink is made with a mixture of fruits nuts and spices along with saffron and sugar However there is no harm in innovating with the drink While people may have had the luxury to celebrate it in large groups earlier they may be hesitant to do it this time around but that shouldnrsquot stop them from making the most of the festivalKeeping this in mind Midday Online reached out to citybased chefs and mixologists to share innovative recipes that people could make and drink in the comfort of their home They share delicious alternatives using coffee strawberry and vodka tooCoffee Thandai by Abhinav Mathur CEO Somethings BrewingDrinking a traditional thandai is a Holi festival ritual and Abhinav Mathur says the nutty and aromatic beverage is a great drink This he says is especially because of the use of spices which are an integral part of Indian cooking and are found in literally every kind of food in the various cuisines The fact that Indians love their coffee and tea made him think of giving the drink a caffeine twistIngredientsMilk 1 litre sugar 6 tbsp few saffron strands black coffee 2 tbsp rosewater optional 12 tsp For the pasteAlmonds 30 nos cashew nuts optional 10 nos pistachios optional 10 nos melon seeds 2 tbsp poppy seeds 1 tbsp fennel seeds 341 tbsp black peppercorns 1 tbsp green cardamom 45 nosFor garnishFew rose petals saffron strands and chopped nuts Method1 Soak the ingredients for the paste in water overnight or for 68 hours2 Strain the soaked mixture Peel almonds and grind to a smooth paste with a little water3 Boil milk to a point where it starts bubbling4 Take some milk in a separate bowl and add saffron to it5 Add the paste and sugar to the boiling milk6 Simmer for 5 minutes until it slightly thickens7 Add 2 tablespoons of brewed coffee8 Add saffroninfused milk9 Turn off the heat and add rose water10 Strain the milk or you could have it as it is11 Pour the thandai into serving glassesVodka Thandai by Kabir Samtani cofounder Kaala Chashma Thane WestAdding an alcoholic twist to the classic thandai citybased bar Kaala Chashma is serving a Vodka Thandai on the occasion of Holi Founder Kabir Samtani says ldquoIt is a brilliant concoction because it doesnrsquot dilute the thandai flavours and is extremely mild Itrsquos still traditional with a little twistrdquo For those who would like to add a boozy twist to their Holi this is a good recipe to tryIngredientsVodka 400 ml milk 1500 ml condensed milk 250 gms almonds 125 gms black peppercorns 1 tbsp cardamom 6 nos fennel 12 tbspMethod1 Grind the almond saunf cardamom and peppercorns to a fine powder2 Heat the milk and add the condensed milk and the powder3 Simmer for 15 minutes4 Cool and then chill in the refrigerator5 Add vodka stir and serveVegan Strawberry Thandai by Shriya Naheta Wadhwa founder Zama Organics GovandiEnjoying a glass full of thandai to celebrate Holi may prove to be difficult especially for vegans Luckily there are so many alternatives for regular milk Further why settle for a regular glass of the cool drink when you can add a twist of flavour with strawberries Founder Shriya Naheta explains ldquoI added strawberries in thandai because the way it complements the sweet scents of rose cardamom and saffron is unbelievablerdquo Since it is a vegan option Wadhwa has swapped regular milk with almond milk and she says it tastes just as goodIngredientsStrawberries crushedpureed frac14 cup warm water 1 cup almonds 3 tbsp pistachios 2 heaped tbsp poppy seeds 2 tbsp melon seeds frac14 cup rose petals dried 2 tbsp fennel seeds 1 tbsp whole black pepper frac12 tsp green cardamom husk removed 34 hemp seeds 2 tbsp saffron strands 1 pinch sugar frac12 cup chilled almond milk or any plantbased milk 8 cups ice cubes as required few rose petals chopped almonds pistachios and saffron strands to garnishMethod1 In a bowl add a cup of warm water2 Then add in the almonds pistachios poppy seeds melon seeds dried rose petals fennel seeds and black pepper3 Mix them well and keep it aside for a couple of hours Once soaked add in the mixture in a blender followed by crushed or pureed strawberries sugar cardamom seeds hemp seeds and a pinch of saffron4 Blend it until it turns into a smooth and fine paste5 Take about 4 tablespoons of the prepared thandai paste into a glass6 Add in the chilled milk and mix it very well adding a couple of ice cubes7 Garnish with rose petals chopped nuts and saffron strands and serve immediatelyThe Pink cocktail at Woodside Inn has a refreshing mix of rose milk tequila maple syrup and dehydrated gulkand Photo Woodside InnTapioca Thandai by Manoj Jangid director food amp beverage JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar Andheri East While other city restaurants use a variety of ingredients including coffee vodka and strawberries with almond milk JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar gives the traditional thandai a local twist Manoj Jangid says the fivestar property adds tapioca to enhance the sweetness of the Holi drink If you love tapioca this interesting creation may be right up your alleyIngredients Thandai MasalaAlmonds blanched 3540 nos black peppercorns whole 20 nos fennel seeds 4 tsp watermelon seeds 2 tbsp green cardamom pods 1520 nosThandaiWhole milk around 4 cups or 1 litre sugar 12 cup or 100 grams or to taste rose water 23 tablespoons or 3045 ml tapioca pearls 2025 nos strands of saffron 34 nos sliced nuts to garnish chopped rose petals to garnish MethodTapioca Thandai Masala1 Blanch the almonds Soak in hot water for 1520 minutes and then peel off the skin It would easily come off2 Blend the blanched almonds along with peppercorns fennel seeds poppy seeds and cardamom pods Grind to a smooth paste You may add little milk for grinding if needed Once the thandai masala is done set it aside Tapioca Thandai1 Heat milk in a pan on medium heat Stir in between and let it come to a slight boil2 While the milk is getting heated up remove 2 to 3 tablespoons of the hot milk from the pan and transfer to a small bowl3 Crush saffron strands between your fingers and add it to the hot milk Let it sit until it gets a nice yellow color4 Once milk comes to a boil lower the heat and add the Thandai masala to it Whisk to mix it all together5 Add sugar syrup Turn off the heat6 Add the saffronmilk mixture to the pan and stir Let the thandai cool 7 After 30 minutes add rose water and stir Its important for the milk to absorb all the flavors of the spices before we strain8 Double strain the thandai using a sieve into a pitcher and add the tapioca pearls9 Press the solid thandai masala that collects into the sieve with the back of a spoon as you strain it this is to get the maximum flavors out of the spices into the thandai10 Transfer the pitcher to a refrigerator and chill preferably overnight11 To serve pour thandai into glasses and garnish with sliced nuts like pistachios almond rose petals and saffron strands Pink by Harshad Koli beverage manager Woodside Inn across outlets Harshad Koli says the Woodside Inns Holi special menu depicts different colours with an explosion of flavours in each one of them Their Pink cocktail has a refreshing mix of rose milk tequila maple syrup and dehydrated gulkand Koli explains ldquoThis is a techniqueforward cocktail which uses milk and rose as the base as they are the most common Holi ingredients We take it a step further by clarifying it retaining the creaminess of the milk and floral notes of rose We infuse it with tequila which takes the cocktail to a different dimensionrdquoIngredientsClarified rose milk 120 ml tequila 60 ml maple syrup 20 ml dehydrated gulkand for garnish Method 1 Add tequila to a glass followed by the rose milk and maple syrup 2 Stir it all together 3 Add the dehydrated gulkand on top and serve chilled