Directions

1. Boil milk in a bowl and soak saffron strands in it. Allow it to sit for 15 - 20 minutes. Soaking saffron strands in hot milk releases its color and flavor.
2. Stir it with a spoon and milk will have a beautiful pale yellow color. Set it aside.
3. Let's assemble our thandai masala ingredients. Feel free to adjust spices according to taste.
4. Add all the nuts and spices to a grinder.
5. Grind spices to their powdered form. Set it aside.
6. You can ground the spices in a motor and pestle too.
7. Boil milk in a heavy bottomed pan.
8. Stir in the nuts and spices one by one onceit comes to a full boil.
9. Whisk so that no lumps remain. Add sugar and keep stirring the liquid. Give it a good boil and take it off the flame. Allow it to cool completely.
10. Stir in saffron flavored milk, rose spread and rose water. If no rose spread available add 2 tablespoons of rose water.
11. Allow it to sit for a while (an hour or more) so that it can soak in all the flavors. Later sieve it through a strainer, add water and refrigerate this drink for at least 3-4 hours or until chilled.
12. Thandai tastes best when served chilled.