Rich history of Thandai
If you love India and its festivals, chances are you would love the food associated with those festivals. The much-loved thandai, a refreshing milk-based Indian beverage, is often considered the soul of festivals such as Holi and Maha Shivratri, acting as an instant energizer in the scorching summer heat. The first records of Thandai date back to 1000 BC, making it one of the oldest drinks in the Indian subcontinent, if not the world. Since then, this flavorful and healthy summer drink has become deeply ingrained in India's cultural and culinary history.
A peep into the recipe of thandai
The healthy ingredients used in the preparation of Thandai make it stand out amidst regular milkshakes. Thandai is prepared with a mixture of exotic spices and nuts such as almonds, fennel seeds, watermelon kernels, rose petals, pepper, poppy seeds, cardamom, saffron, milk and sugar.
Traditionally, all the key ingredients except milk are grinded with a mortar and pestle until the paste becomes fine and smooth, after which it is added to sweetened milk and mixed thoroughly. Then a generous quantity of ice cubes is added and the drink is ready to be served chilled.
There are several variants of this traditional, festival drink such as rose thandai, mango thandai, badaam kesar thandai and of course, the hugely popular bhang thandai. In fact, thandai laced with bhang is a heady concoction that has become an integral part of Holi celebrations across Northern India.
Thandai with gujiya - an irresistible combination
If thandai is the soul of Holi, then the crispy, mouth-watering gujiya is considered the heart of it. And for food lovers across the country, this combination is nothing short of a divine union. And why not? No Holi celebration is complete without gulping down a couple of these delightfully sweet fried dumplings called gujiyas and then finishing off in style with a few glasses of soothing thandai. Irrespective of the vagaries of time, India's fascination with thandai and gujiya doesn't seem to have waned the least bit.
The sweetness of gujiya and the coolness of thandai is an unbeatable combo that continues to be celebrated and savoured by generation after generation with equal fervor.
If you really want to get in the festive mood, make sure you order your serving of our Mewa Gujiya!
