These Paan Thandai Shots are made with homemade thandai powder and flavored with fresh paan leaves and gulkand (rose petal preserve). This refreshing drink is perfect to serve during summers or for festivals like Holi and Diwali!

Holi is almost here and I couldn’t let go of an Indian festival without sharing a recipe made with paan leaves (betel leaves), can I? Paan is such a refreshing flavor and I can never have enough of it. That is the reason why I have shared so many paan recipes over the years from ladoo to cheesecakes to truffles and what not!

This time around, I thought of sharing a drink recipe made with paan leaves and thandai powder which makes it perfect for Holi. Thandai is the quintessential Holi drink which is made with lots of spices like fennel, peppercorn, cardamom, cardamom and nuts like almonds and cashews.

Thandai has a cooling effect on body because of all the spices and nuts that are used in it. An easy way to make thandai and thandai inspired desserts is to make quick thandai powder at home. You can make the powder in advance, store it and then make thandai for Holi or Shivratri as needed.

This Paan Thandai Shots is so refreshing thanks to all the spices in the thandai powder and the fresh paan leaves. It will make a great drink not only for Holi but also anytime during summers.

Paan Thandai Shots

I love these shots for so many reasons!

• they are easy to make.
• perfect for Holi or any festival.
• great to serve at parties.
• can be made in advance.
• are cooling & refreshing!

You only need around 10 minutes to put this drink together if you have the thandai powder ready to go!

Ingredients

Once you have the thandai powder ready, you need very few ingredients to make the Paan Thandai Shots!

Paan leaves: since this drink is flavored with thandai powder and paan, we need fresh paan leaves (betel leaves) for this recipe. You can find it at most Indian grocery stores. I have used 3 large paan leaves here.

Gulkand: aka rose petal preserve is almost always used with paan flavor. You can find gulkand at most Indian grocery stores as well. Gulkand is very sweet and you have to keep that in mind while adding sugar to this recipe.

Fennel seeds: although the thandai powder already has fennel in it, I added some extra fennel for fresh taste.

Thandai powder: I use my homemade thandai powder in so many desserts, other than making thandai with it of course. It’s a good idea to batch of this and store in an airtight container. It would last for months.

Step by Step Instructions

1- To a blender, add paan leaves (tear them up before adding to the blender), along with gulkand, fennel seeds and sugar. Then add the thandai powder.

2- Add milk of choice.

3- Blend until everything is well combined and blends well together. Strain the mixture using a strainer to make it smooth, this step is optional but I recommend doing it so that the drink is super smooth.

4- Pour the drink into small shot glasses (1.5 to 2 oz). Garnish with dried rose petals or candied fennel. Chill the glasses before serving.

Tips & Notes

• I added an additional tablespoon of sugar as gulkand alone wasn’t sweet enough (for me). You can definitely skip the sugar if you want.
• Strain the mixture for a smooth drink. I recommend doing it though it’s an additional step.
• The drink can be easily made in advance, you can make it a night before and chill in the refrigerator and serve the next day.
• The recipe can easily be doubled.
• This recipes would serve 4 if using those 1.5 to 2 oz shot glasses, it would serves less if the glasses are bigger.
• The Paan Thandai Shots taste best when served chilled, so chill these for a minimum of 1 hour before serving.
• You can use milk of choice. Use non-dairy milk to make this vegan.

More Recipes With Thandai Powder

If you are wondering what other things you can make using the thandai powder, check out these recipes!

• Thandai Burfi
• Thandai Cookies
• White Chocolate Thandai Mousse
• Thandai Coconut Ladoo

If you’ve tried this Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen and on YouTube to watch my latest videos.