Holi Celebrations with Thandai !
Holi is one of those festivals that seems to bring out the child in everyone. Streets turn colourful, music gets louder, friends and family come together, and there is plenty of delicious food to enjoy.
As super busy human beings, we tend to unite during special occasions or during festivals where everyone delves themselves in the mood of mirth and celebration and fun times with family, friends, and close ones. Holi or the festival of colours is an extravagant affair with shades of joy and harmony and when it comes to Holi celebrations in India, one traditional drink often takes centre stage — Thandai.
What Is Thandai?
Thandai is a traditional Indian milk-based drink generally prepared with milk, nuts, seeds and aromatic spices. Almonds, cashews, pistachios, fennel seeds, watermelon seeds, cardamom, black pepper and rose petals are commonly used.
The ingredients are usually ground into a fragrant paste or powder and mixed with chilled milk. Sugar or another sweetener is added according to taste.
The result is a deliciously refreshing drink that combines sweetness with the distinctive flavour of Indian spices.
Celebrating Holi
Apparently, the festivities begin much earlier with the purchase of different types of colours, both dry as well as other assortments, and it depends on the kind and type of preference of the participants. At this instance, it feels like every individual nurture the child within themselves because the unrelenting honesty and the childish thrills which one draws from being a part of the grand celebration are great to watch and one tends to immerse into it.
The festival also gives an opportunity to indulge in various mouth-watering delicacies. However, thandai is a star attraction for any Holi celebration. We always have this preconceived notion about getting intoxicated after consuming thandai. In fact, we have heard a lot of stories and, of course, the idiot box has helped us in developing this perception.
But there are great reasons to have the drink during Holi Celebrations. Drinking it with or without Bhang can keep us stay healthy, provided it is taken in the right quantities especially the one with bhang in it. Thandai itself has originated as a term which has its literal meaning of a rather fine liquid or punch up of milk, a sweetening agent with different kinds of dry fruits and flavourful spices which serve as a delicious drink and helps a lot in overcoming the exhaustion from playing colours and bursting water balloons at each other. The many good facets of thandai are as follows:-
• Coolant: – The primary function of thandai is that it acts as an instant coolant and makes one feel pretty refreshed after having it. Its main ingredients are milk which is a great energy booster
• Dry fruits: – The various kinds of dry fruits like almonds, nuts, pistachios and cashew nuts in thandai are a source of rich proteins and minerals
• Spiced concoction: – The spices which go into the making of a thandai are many. Cardamom, saffron, fennel, pepper are known for their special digestive properties which improve the digestive system significantly and facilitates bowel movement, thereby detoxifying the body naturally and cleansing the blood naturally.
Make Your Holi Thandai a Little Healthier
Traditional thandai can be quite rich, particularly when prepared with plenty of sugar and full-fat milk. If you’re watching your sugar or calorie intake, there are several simple ways to make it lighter.
-Reduce the amount of added sugar.
-Use unsweetened milk and adjust the sweetness yourself.
-Add more nuts and seeds for flavour rather than relying heavily on sugar.
-Try a lighter milk option if it suits your diet.
-Keep portion sizes moderate.
Remember, a festive drink does not have to be extremely sweet to be enjoyable.
So having Thandai during Holi Time is, after all, not a bad idea. Have it and enjoy the Festivities.
