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thandai
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4.80 from 5 votes

Kesar Badam Sharbat (Thandai Concentrate)

Thandai -A very healthy and refreshing summer cooler from Northern India
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Beverages /drinks, Home made, Kids Friendly
Cuisine: Uttar Pradesh Cuisine
Keyword: Festival, Holi, Thandai
Author: Anjana Chaturvedi

Ingredients

  • 750 gms Sugar / Chini
  • 125 gms Almonds / Badam
  • 75 gms Pistachio / Pista
  • 1/4 cup Melon Seeds / Magaz / Kharbooje Ke Beej
  • 3 tbsp Poppy seeds /khaskhas
  • 3 tbsp Gulkand/Rose petal preserve
  • 3 tbsp Peppercorns / Sabut Kali Mirch
  • 3 tbsp Fennel Seeds / Saunf
  • 15 Green Cardamom / Hari Elaichi
  • 1/3 tsp Saffron / Kesar
  • 3 tbsp Rose Water / Gulab Jal
  • pinch of Citric Acid/nimbu phool/taatri

Instructions

  • Soak almond and pistachio over night and peel the skin in the morning.
  • Soak poppy seeds and melon seeds for about 2 hours in little water.
  • Soak fennel seeds, cardamom and pepper corns in some water for 2 hours.
  • Grind together almonds ,pistachio,poppy seeds and melon seeds with some water and make a fine paste.now add the gulkand and grind again.
  • In a pan add sugar and a glass of water and cook on medium heat to make a sugar syrup of 1+ 1/2 thread consistency.
  • Add 2 tsp of milk in the boiling syrup to remove the scum floating on top.
  • Now add citric acid and mix then remove it from the gas and let it come to room temperature.
  • Add the ground almond paste in the sugar syrup and mix well.
  • Grind the fennel seeds ,cardamom and pepper corn with water and make a fine paste.
  • Add the fennel paste and the soaked saffron in the sugar syrup and mix .
  • Now just give a boil to the sugar syrup after mixing all the ingredients in it.
  • Now strain the hot syrup with a muslin cloth or a strainer and then let it come to room temperature.
  • Now add rose water and fill it in the glass bottles and keep refrigerated.
  • How to serve- Take about 3-4 tbsps of thandai concentrate in a serving glass add some chilled milk/water/juice and some ice cubes ,mix and serve.

Notes

NOTE and Tips-
  1. You can adjust the quantity and ratio of dry fruits according to your preference ,can reduce the quantity of almonds and pista and increase the quantity of melon seeds.
  2. Can use cashew nuts instead of pistachio.
  3. The approx ratio of dry fruit paste and sugar is 1:3 i.e for 1 cup of dry fruit paste use 3 cups of sugar.
  4. You can adjust the quantity of pepper corns according to your tatse ,specially if you are making this for your kids,though traditionaaly thandai have a strong taste of pepper corns.
  5. If you don't have gulkand then can add fresh rose petals or just increase the quantity of rose water.
  6. If you want to make thandai concentrate in large quantity and want to store it at room temperature then do add some food preservative for long shelf life (sodium benzoate)