Dairy-Free Thandai with Borges Walnut Mylk, Snacks, and more this Holi

Festivals are one of the most exciting times to experiment with clothes, old traditions and recipes. We've put together some natural and easy hacks to try on this Holi!

1. Thandai au Natura(le)

A cool glass of 'Thandai' with our family and friends, some gulaal and a lot of sweets. It's the best part about Holi! It was one of those few times we could drink what the grownups were drinking. Try out flavoured Thandai with a delicious twist this year - Ditch the milk and replace it with Borges Natura Rice and Walnut Drink or Borges Natura Rice and Hazelnut Drink instead. The thick and creamy texture of the nut milks add nutrition and consistency to your drink. Here is a quick recipe for yummy vegan thandai, we guarantee you'll be surprised by the outcome! 
 

Ingredients:

• Borges Natura Rice and Walnut Drink - 1½ litres
• Or Borges Natura Rice and Hazelnut Drink - 1½ litres
• Almonds, blanched and peeled-  25
• Cashewnuts Soaked- 20
• Pistachios, Blanched and Peeled- 30
• Melon seeds (magaz), Soaked- 3 tablespoons
• Poppy seeds (khuskhus/posto), Soaked- 3 tablespoons
• Saffron (kesar)- a few strands
• Sugar- 1½  cups
• Green cardamoms- 8-10
• Rose petals- 20-25
• Cinnamon- 1-inch stick
• Black peppercorns- 8-10

Preparation:

• Grind the almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios, melon seeds and poppy seeds. Add in a small amount of Borges Natura Rice and Walnut Drink or Borges Natura Rice and Hazelnut Drink and blend into a fine paste. Pro tip: For a smooth paste, always blend in a small jar.
• Simmer the Borges Natura Drink on low heat.
• Once it comes to a boil, add a little pinch of saffron and stir gently.
• Add sugar or jaggery to the mixture. Incase you decide to add jaggery ensure the mixture is on low heat to avoid splitting. 
• Grind green cardamoms, dried rose petals, cinnamon and black peppercorns to a fine powder. Sprinkle it on the mixture.
• Finally, add the nut paste to the Borges Natura Drink mixture and stir well. 
• Simmer for three to four minutes. 
• Chill the Thandai and it is ready to be served!

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2. DIY natural holi colours

Chromium, cadmium and nickel are just some of the harmful substances that could be found in Holi colours. The good news is that you can make your own natural Holi colours.

• Hack One: Take 5 beetroots and chop them into medium sized pieces, boil them until the colour of the water is deep purple. Strain out the beetroot and save the water. Add a few drops of rose essential oil to the water and it is now ready to be put into pichkaris, spray away!

• Hack Two: You could try good old turmeric (haldi) powder to create a gorgeous yellow colour to play with. If you have a palash tree near your house, you can use palash flowers too. Just boil the flowers in the water, strain and use. The bonus: it has a wonderful aroma. 

3. Snack Time

An Indian festival is incomplete without sweet and savoury snacks. What we didn’t know when we were starting out as  NewVe’s (is that even a term?) was how easily a lot of them can be made vegan. Gujia and Mal Pua are among the two Holi staples. 

• Opt for the Sooji gujjia instead of the Mawa ones: they are vegan. If you are making it at home then just substitute ghee with dalda and presto. 

• You can also replace milk in the mal pua batter with Borges Natura Rice and Walnut Drink or Borges Natura Rice and Hazelnut Drink. 
   

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4. Kurta Care

Captain Planet has been right about: reusing, reducing, and recycling from the start! It's time to apply it to our Holi clothing. A light coloured kurta on Holi is a tempting bet; here is how you can make it last for a few seasons post Holi:

1. Soak the kurta in water mixed with baking soda for a few hours.
2. Rub a little lemon on the tough stains and then put it in the wash.
3. Once its washed, pour rice water over it and dry. It might not but as good as new, but will be good enough not to disappoint you.

Pro Tip:  Want a natural way to get rid of the stains on your skin? Try mixing 3 parts of coffee grounds and 1 part cold pressed coconut oil. This  scrubs away the colours while keeping your skin soft and supple.

Hope your Holi is as natural as ours. Wish you the very best: a healthy, happy and cruelty-free Holi! 

Thandai Recipe- Sanjeev Kapoor