Thandai Masala

Thandai masala is added to whole milk and sweetened with sugar as needed to make a classic drink for Holi. What I really love about the masala mixture, though, is that it can be used not just to make beverages, but also thandai-flavored sweets. I like to prepare a large batch of thandai masala and store it airtight in the freezer to make it last longer.

A couple of notes about the nuts in this recipe: First, use blanched almonds since they are softer and do not have a raw almond flavor. Secondly, make sure all of the nuts are unsalted and skinless.

The melon seeds needed for this recipe are also often labeled “char magaz”; they can be challenging to find in many American supermarkets, but can be swapped with more raw cashews if needed.

If using whole cardamom pods, there’s no need to remove the seeds.