5 Refreshing Thandai Recipes for Indian Summer 2026

The Indian summer is unforgiving. By April, the sun in most parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra is past 40°C and the only sensible thing to drink is something cold, milky and spiced — thandai.

Traditionally, thandai meant Variyali (fennel) ground with rock sugar, served at Holi. Today, it has evolved into a year-round cooling drink with regional twists. Here are five recipes you can make at home in under 60 seconds using a Pratima Thandai pre-mix — one for every kind of summer afternoon.

Quick reference for all recipes:

• 1 glass = 250 ml chilled liquid
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of Pratima Thandai mix per glass (adjust to taste)
• Each 150 g pack makes ~10 glasses (Variyali 125 g pack makes ~12–15 glasses)
• Stir for 30 seconds, or shake in a bottle for extra froth
• Variyali uses chilled water; all other flavours use chilled milk

1. Classic Variyali Thandai — the original

If you've never had real thandai, start here. Variyali Thandai is the most authentic recipe — just fennel seeds and rock sugar, mixed with cold water, not milk. Light, digestive, the traditional Holi pour.

• 250 ml chilled water
• 1–2 teaspoons Pratima Variyali Thandai mix
• Ice cubes
• Optional: a few rose petals or a pinch of saffron on top

Method: Stir the mix into chilled water until the rock sugar fully dissolves (30 seconds). Add ice and serve.

Tip: For a richer version, swap the water for chilled milk — same proportions.

Best for: A traditional Holi spread, post-lunch in summer, anyone with weak digestion (fennel is a natural cooler).

2. Rose Thandai — royal and floral

Rose Thandai is what you serve when you want to impress guests without doing extra work.

• 250 ml chilled milk
• 2–3 tablespoons Pratima Rose Thandai mix
• Ice cubes
• Optional: a few fresh rose petals and crushed pistachio on top

Method: Stir the mix into chilled milk for 30 seconds (or shake in a bottle for extra froth). Pour over ice, garnish with rose petals and pistachio.

Best for: Mehndi ceremonies, Diwali gatherings, a romantic dessert drink.

3. Chocolate Thandai — for the kids (and the kid in you)

The hardest sell to a chocolate-loving child is “try this traditional drink.” Chocolate Thandai bridges the gap — cocoa-rich enough to feel like a treat, traditional enough to count as thandai.

• 250 ml chilled milk
• 2–3 tablespoons Pratima Chocolate Thandai mix
• Ice cubes
• Optional: 1 scoop vanilla ice cream and chocolate shavings for a dessert version

Method: Stir or shake the mix into chilled milk for 30 seconds. Pour over ice. For the dessert version, blend everything with the ice cream and top with shavings.

Best for: Kids' parties, summer evening treats, dessert nights.

4. Orange Thandai — tangy and modern

Orange Thandai is the surprise of the range. The citrus cuts through the milk's richness and gives you something that tastes more like a Sicilian dessert than a traditional Indian drink.

• 250 ml chilled milk
• 2–3 tablespoons Pratima Orange Thandai mix
• Ice cubes
• Optional: fresh mint leaves on top

Method: Stir the mix into chilled milk for 30 seconds. Pour over ice and garnish with mint.

Best for: Brunch, weight-conscious drinkers (lighter than rose or chocolate), morning energy.

5. Strawberry Thandai — the picnic crowd-pleaser

Strawberry Thandai is what you carry to a beach picnic or a hill-station drive. Sweet, fruity, instantly recognisable to anyone who likes Indian shakes.

• 250 ml chilled milk
• 2–3 tablespoons Pratima Strawberry Thandai mix
• Ice cubes
• Optional: a few sliced fresh strawberries and a swirl of whipped cream

Method: Shake the mix and milk in a bottle for 30 seconds for extra froth, or stir well. Pour into a chilled glass, top with fresh strawberries and cream if you want to make it indulgent.

Best for: Birthdays, weekend getaways, anyone who isn't sure about traditional thandai but loves shakes.

The 5-flavour combo: try all of them

If you can't decide, our Premium Instant Thandai 5-Flavour Combo gives you all five — Variyali, Rose, Chocolate, Orange, Strawberry — in a single box. Perfect for a thandai-tasting evening with friends, or to figure out which flavour your family loves most before ordering in bulk.

Why pre-mix thandai works

Traditional thandai requires soaking almonds overnight, grinding fennel and cardamom in a mortar and pestle, sieving the mixture twice and chilling for an hour. It's beautiful when done properly, and it's also why most households only make thandai once a year on Holi.

A pre-mix collapses that ritual into 30 seconds without losing the core flavour. You buy the soaking and grinding back in convenience. The ingredients are still real — almonds, cashews, fennel, cardamom, rock sugar — just pre-ground and pre-portioned.

This summer, drink thandai whenever you want it. Not just on Holi.