A super silky and creamy, healthy and vegan Indian rice pudding flavoured with thandai powder – a delicious treat for Holi and any other special occasion!
It is festival time back home in India. And this time it is Holi – the beautiful festival of colours! Similar to any other Indian festival, even this one has got its own set of celebratory foods. Gujiyas, dahi vadas, thandai, jalebis etc are a part of this colorful festival’s menu. Thandai is a refreshing Indian drink made using the thandai powder and milk. The powder is made with a mix of nuts, spices and aromatics. And this is then mixed in milk, sweetened with sugar and consumed. While this milkshake is also yummy, I decided to level up my festive food game. And so, this time I am making thandai kheer in coconut milk.
What started as a kitchen experiment last Holi, to use up my thandai mix, turned out to be a great dessert recipe. That is why, I am documenting it for you this time. So that, you can actually enjoy this delicious Indian rice pudding during the festival. This rice kheer is delectable to taste and has got a creamy and silky texture. Additionally, the crushed nuts in the mix, also lend a richness to this dessert. Topped off with saffron strands and dried edible flowers, this thandai kheer in coconut milk is not just festive, it is royal! Moreover, this is a healthy dessert recipe since I have sweetened it with jaggery.
What more would you want in a festive recipe! For me, taste wise and health wise, this one is a winner.
Also see,
Rose and saffron flavoured rasgullas
Kheer
Kheer – payesh in Bengali – is not just a dessert for me. It is a delectable treat that stands for celebration, joy, victory and to mark good beginnings, too. Maa always makes payesh, and always with rice and not vermicelli etc, on our birthdays. It is also, always made on poila boishakh or the Bengali new year and on bijoya, as well. Not to mention, it is an integral part of weddings and celebrations marking any big achievement. Therefore, even for me, making payesh or the Indian rice pudding on festivals is absolutely essential. Now, while I don’t really have a sweet tooth, my husband and my friends simply love it. And it brings me immense happiness to indulge them. Hence for this Holi, I am again making this gem of recipe.
Thandai mix
To make the thandai kheer in coconut milk, you will first need to make the mix itself. And that is a pretty easy recipe. All you need is a bunch of dry ingredients and then grind it to a fine powder. The mix includes nuts like almonds, cashews, melon seeds and pistachios, aromatics like cardamoms, saffron and dried rose petals. Thereby, making the mix so fragrant and flavorsome. I have given the recipe, with measurements below. While you will not need the entire amount for the kheer, you can always store it in an air tight container. However, make sure to use it within 10 days days, so that you can enjoy the fresh flavours in your thandai powder.
And here is this very special festive recipe. I hope you will enjoy my version of it and treat yourself and your loved ones to it. 🙂
Eat hearty!
Thandai kheer in coconut milk
Equipment
- Sauce pan
Ingredients
For the thandai powder
- ¼ cup pistachios
- ¼ cup cashews
- ¼ cup almonds
- ¼ cup dried rose petals
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 tbsp green cardamoms
- 2 tbsp melon seeds
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp saffron strands
For the thandai kheer
- 3 tbsp thandai powder
- 4 cups light coconut milk
- ¼ cup Basmati rice washed and soaked in water for 10 minutes
- ¼ cup jaggery or sweetener of choice
- 1 tbsp ghee use coconut oil for a vegan option
For garnishing
- saffron strands
- dried rose petals
- chopped nuts
Instructions
- To make the thandai mix, grind all the ingredients listed under "thandai powder" to a fine powder, in a mixer-grinder
- This is much more than what you would need for this kheer recipe. However, you can store the remaining in an air tight jar. But make sure to use it within a month's time
- To make the kheer, heat the ghee/coconut oil, until in melts and then add the rice
- Stir and cook for couple minutes and then add the coconut milk. Simmer over medium low heat
- Keep stirring and cooking until the rice grains completely soften
- Then add the thandai mix and the jaggery. Cook for 5-7 minutes more or until the jaggery completely mixes with the kheer and then remove from flame
- Refrigerate the rice pudding (after it comes to room temperature) for at least 30 minutes before serving
- Serve the thandai kheer in coconut milk, garnished with nuts, dried rose petals and saffron strands. Enjoy!
Notes
- When the coconut milk comes to a boil, stir, lower the flame and continue cooking
- The thandai kheer will thicken as it sets
- You can use the remaining thandai mix to flavour a milk shake too
- If you would like your kheer to be sweeter, increase the quantity of jaggery added to it
- tbsp - tablespoon
- 1 cup = 250 millilitres
great a very well made recipe.looks cool too.liked the creativity
Thank you so so much maa. Means a lot x