Issue #7 of the Chai Bhai newsletter. March arrives with colour.
The Festival That Belongs to Milk
Holi — the festival of colour, celebrated on the full moon of Phalguna (February or March) — is unique among India's great festivals in that its traditional drink is cold, not hot. Thandai (literally: "that which cools") is the festival beverage: a rich, chilled milk drink made with almonds, melon seeds, fennel seeds, rosewater, cardamom, black pepper, and saffron. In certain regions — particularly Varanasi, Mathura, and parts of Rajasthan — bhang (a preparation of cannabis leaves and flowers, legal in these contexts as a sacred intoxicant associated with Lord Shiva) is added to the thandai.
The combination of spring warmth, colour, dancing, and thandai creates a Holi experience that is unlike anything else in the Indian calendar. The chai festival this is not.
Thandai: How to Make It
The classic thandai recipe takes preparation the night before:
Thandai paste (for 4 glasses):
- 20 blanched almonds
- 2 tbsp melon seeds (magaz)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 6 green cardamom pods (seeds only)
- 8 black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp dried rose petals
- 1 tsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
Soak all ingredients overnight in a small amount of water. In the morning, blend to a smooth paste with a splash of milk. Strain through fine cloth.
Combine the strained paste with 1 litre cold whole milk, 4 tbsp sugar (or to taste), a pinch of saffron steeped in warm milk, and 1 tbsp rosewater. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve over ice with a rose petal garnish.
The Chai That Comes After
Here is where chai re-enters the story.
By 4pm on Holi day, the colour-throwing has ended. Everyone is stained pink and orange. The thandai is finished. The dancing is over. People are tired and slightly sticky and beginning to feel the weight of the afternoon. This is when someone puts the bhagona on the flame.
The post-Holi chai is one of the most anticipatory cups of the year. It is usually made in the simplest possible way — standard masala chai, nothing fancy — but the context transforms it. The release of the day's exhilaration. The warm cup in hands that are still slightly pink from colour. The gathering of friends and family in the quiet aftermath.
Context is the most powerful spice.
Mathura and Vrindavan: Ground Zero
The most famous Holi celebrations in India are in Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh — the birthplace of Lord Krishna, who according to tradition invented Holi by playfully throwing colour at the gopis (cowherd girls). The celebrations here last a full week, with events including Lathmar Holi (where women beat men with sticks, good-humouredly) in the village of Barsana.
The chai wallahs of Mathura do exceptional business during Holi week. Their stalls are located, wisely, just outside the splash zones.
Next month: the science and Ayurveda of chai spices — why they work and what each one actually does.
Chai piyo, zindagi jiyo.
— Chai Bhai