Kesar Thandai Pudding Pots (eggless and gelatin free)

I recently came across a map of India which showed drinks by regions of India. I was literally blown away by the variety of drinks and how many I loved and even more that I had never heard of! It made me think of my favorite drink and I concluded it is Thandai.  I created this unique Kesar Thandai Pudding pots using the same flavors of thandai and giving it a fusion twist.  This dessert is light and flavorful, easy to make and perfect for your next Holi celebration.  It literally takes less than 15 minutes of your time to make this dessert and your family and friends will be blown away.

What is Thandai

The one food/drink that I most associate with the festival Holi is Thandai.  Growing up, I remember my mom making jugs of thandai on the days leading up to Holi.  I don’t think I appreciated the somewhat spicy flavor of the drink then but have come to love it now! It is refreshing, a little spicy with a lovely color and a perfect drink to celebrate Holi and welcome Spring. 

Thandai powder recipe

For this recipe you can use store bought thandai powder or make it at home.  But please do not use thandai syrup to make this recipe as it will interfere with the other proportions used. 

This thandai powder recipe is from my dear aunty Urvashi Thacker. What I like about this recipe is that it is simple and does not use a ton of ingredients. 

• ½ cup raw unsalted almonds (or a mix of pistachio/almond)
• 1/3 cup saunf (fennel seeds)
• 2 tbs black peppers
• 2 tbs cardamom seeds

Add all the ingredients to a spice grinder and grind to a smooth powder.  The Thandai dry mix powder can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Use of Agar Agar to make Kesar Thandai Pudding

I have to be honest with you here, I was absolutely terrified of using agar- agar to make vegetarian puddings.  Agar-Agar or agar is a vegetarian gelatin substitute that is produced from seaweed vegetation.  I experimented for 2 years off and now to get the proportions and cooking technique right and now I feel like I have a grip on how I can use agar agar to create vegan/vegetarian gelatinous dessert. 

Here are some key take aways for me that I learnt:

All the recipes I came across were using a lot of agar agar.  It created a very hard pudding for me that did not have a good mouth feel.  I significantly reduced the agar agar quantity in the recipes and added some corn starch/custard powder.  Corn starch/custard powder also help thicken the puddings. 

It is very important that the agar-agar powder melts completely before we set the pudding or the pudding will have a grainy mouth feel.  For that, I mix all the ingredients off the heat and then bring it to a boil almost stirring constantly.  Do not boil the pudding more than that. 

Please note that I have used agar powder in the recipe and not agar flakes.  Agar powder is easily available on Amazon or health food stores.  Agar flakes may have a different proportion. 

Topping and Serving suggestion

The texture and mouth feel of puddings can get very monotonous for me. I need something crunchy to break up the silky smoothness of the pudding. I have added a topping of crushed Sesame seed brittle to Kesar Thandai pudding pots and it provides a nice textural balance. You can use any seed/nut brittle of your choice. Since I wanted to keep this recipe simple and under 15 minutes, the brittles can be store bought and is easily available in regular grocery store or an Indian store.

I like to make individual serving size portions of this pudding. The jars I use are quite large so the recipe gives 4 portions but if you would like smaller shot glass type servings, you can make 8 portions with the same recipe proportions.

Make ahead and storage tips for Kesar Thandai Pudding

The Kesar Thandai pudding can be made a day ahead of serving.  Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  The brittle topping should be added only at the time of serving to maintain the crunch. 

If you like Thandai flavors, try my Thandai Tres Leches Cake recipe. 

Kesar Thandai Pudding Pots (eggless and gelatin free)

Saffron and Thandai flavored pudding that is eggless and gelatin free

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Recipe by Divya Jhaveri

4 from 13 votes

Course: DessertsCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups Whole Milk

• 1/4 cup Heavy cream (optional or can increase milk quantity)

• 2 tablespoons Thandai powder

• a few strands of kesar

• 2 tablespoons Custard powder

• 1/2 cup Sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon Agar Agar (in powder form)

• Topping

• A big piece of Sesame or any Nut brittle

Method

• Add all the ingredients to a large sauce pan and whisk to combine.
• Now put the sauce pan on medium heat on the stovetop. Heat the mixture while stirring constantly. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat. The mix should have thickened a bit and should coat the back of a spoon.
• Immediately por the mixture in individual serving containers. This quantity should make 4 large and 8 small quantities. Let it cool at room temperature for half an hour and then place in the refrigerator to cool completely for 4-5 hours.
  
• To make the brittle topping, place the brittle in a plastic bag and seal it. Now hit the brittle in the bag with a rolling pin to crush the brittle in small pieces.
  
• When you are ready to serve the pudding and it has cooled and set, remove it from the refrigerator and top generously with the brittle topping. Serve immediately.

Recipe Video

Tips

• While heating the liquid, stir almost constantly till it comes to a boil, or it will stick to the bottom of the pan.