Thandai Masala is a traditional, aromatic spice and nut blend intended to be mixed with milk or yogurt to create a refreshing beverage. Given your profile, this is a concentrated source of energy, healthy fats, and aromatic spices that should be moderated due to the high sugar and caloric density.
Vegetarian Pescetarian Gluten-Free Egg-Free Soy-Free
Nutrient score: Fair
Goodness for its calories, 25 to 100.
How is this worked out?
The nutrient score shows how much goodness a recipe gives for its calories, from 25 to 100. Every recipe gets at least 25. It is the same for everyone.
It adds up how much of 11 nutrients people need the recipe gives for its calories: protein, fibre, vitamins A, C and E, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, folate and zinc. Each counts up to a full day’s worth for the calories. It then takes points off for saturated fat, added sugar and sodium above a fair share for the calories.
75 and over: Excellent. 60 to 74: Very good. 45 to 59: Good. 35 to 44: Fair. 25 to 34: Low.
The formula (from the recipe’s values per 100 g):
- Share of the day: the recipe’s kcal per 100 g ÷ 2,000 (under 40 kcal per 100 g, such as a herb or tea, counts as 40 kcal).
- 11 nutrients to encourage: protein (50 g), fibre (28 g), vitamin A (900 mcg), vitamin C (90 mg), vitamin E (15 mg), calcium (1,300 mg), iron (18 mg), potassium (4,700 mg), magnesium (420 mg), folate (400 mcg) and zinc (11 mg). For each: amount ÷ (Daily Value × share), at most 1. Add them up.
- 3 nutrients to limit: saturated fat (20 g), added sugar (50 g) and sodium (2,300 mg). For each: amount ÷ (limit × share) − 1, only when above 0 and at most 3. Add them up.
- Result = 100 × (step 2 − 2 × step 3) ÷ 11, kept between 0 and 100.
- Score = 25 + 0.75 × result, rounded. The scale runs from 25 to 100 instead of 0 to 100: every edible recipe gets at least 25, and the order doesn’t change.
It follows the Nutrient Rich Foods index (NRF 9.3) with the U.S. FDA Daily Values for a 2,000 kcal day. Different from the published index: folate and zinc are added (11 nutrients instead of 9), the nutrients to limit count double and each at most three times its share, the 40 kcal floor, and the 25 to 100 scale. When some of the values it needs are unknown, the score is shown as “about”.
A recipe’s values are worked out from its ingredients, whose values are estimates.
Sources: Drewnowski A. Defining nutrient density: development and validation of the Nutrient Rich Foods index. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009;28(4):421S-426S; U.S. FDA, Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
A low score doesn’t make a recipe bad: treats and festive dishes have their place. Use the score to compare similar recipes. In the GapPlate app you also see how much of the gaps in your day a serving fills.
Units:
Ingredients
- 5 g Pistachios (5 g)
- 100 g Almonds (100 g)
- 100 g Cashews (100 g)
- 2 cloves jaiphal (Nutmeg) (3 g)
- 15 g Green Cardamom seeds (15 g)
- 8 cloves Black cardamom seeds (1.6 g)
- 8 g Dalchini (Cinnamon Stick) (8 g)
- 10 g saunf (Fennel seeds) (10 g)
- 15 g Kali mirch (Black pepper) (15 g)
- 200 g chini (Sugar) (200 g)
- 150 g mishri (Rock candy) (150 g)
- 1 cup Milk Powder (237 g)
- 100 g Chironji (100 g)
- Kesar (Saffron), to taste
- 7 g sonth (Ginger powder) (7 g)
- Ingredients in total: 951 g
- Weight lost in cooking: 19 g (mostly water boiling off)
- Net weight (cooked): 932 g (estimated by AI) · 32 servings of about 29 g (servings estimated by AI)
Method
- A keep-ahead powder for hot or cold milk, with a thandai variation in the notes.
This is a masala powder, not a stovetop curry. Nuts and spices are ground, then stirred into boiling-hot milk or cold
milk. - 1. With the rock sugar, mix half the cashews, half the almonds, and all the remaining spices. Grind the mixture to a fine powder.
2. Grind the remaining cashews and almonds coarsely, or chop or grind them a little finer, and mix them into the powder.
3. The masala is then ready to stir into boiling-hot milk or into cold milk. Adjust the fennel to taste, or by the season.
4. In summer, reduce cloves, nutmeg, and the other warming spices - Notes : Jaiphal is optional.
Rock Candy is optional. Powder it using a grind; Can also use sugar or sugar-free may replace it.
Adjust amount of Saunf per season.
Kesar or Yellow colour or a combination can be added.
Ginger powder is optional. - • Cashew, almond, and chironji can be increased or decreased to taste.
• Milk powder is only there to thicken the milk. If the milk is already a little thick, or you prefer it less thick, the drink is mostly fine without it.
• The remaining spices can be reduced or increased according to the season.
• Sugar, or a sugar-free substitute, can be used in place of rock sugar - Thandai powder variation :
In the same masala, use ground poppy seeds (khuskhus, 200 g) and char magaz (200 g) in place of the milk powder.
The page says this makes a tasty thandai powder.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (29 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 141 kcal | 482 kcal |
| Protein | 4.22 g | 14.5 g |
| Water | 0.26 mL | 0.88 mL |
| Sodium | 28.6 mg | 98.1 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 17 g | 58.3 g |
| Total Fat | 6.79 g | 23.3 g |
| Sugar | 14.2 g | 48.6 g |
61 more nutrients
Carbohydrates
| Nutrient | Per serving (29 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Added Sugar | 10.9 g | 37.5 g |
Minerals
| Nutrient | Per serving (29 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 0.87 mg | 2.98 mg |
| Calcium | 97.6 mg | 335 mg |
| Magnesium | 36.5 mg | 125 mg |
| Potassium | 192 mg | 658 mg |
| Iodine | 9.18 mcg | 31.5 mcg |
| Phosphorus | 110 mg | 378 mg |
| Zinc | 0.68 mg | 2.34 mg |
| Chloride | 74.9 mg | 257 mg |
| Selenium | 2.34 mcg | 8.04 mcg |
| Copper | 0.14 mg | 0.47 mg |
| Fluoride | 0.008 mg | 0.028 mg |
| Manganese | 0.49 mg | 1.69 mg |
| Molybdenum | 1.81 mcg | 6.2 mcg |
| Chromium | 0.78 mcg | 2.66 mcg |
Fats
| Nutrient | Per serving (29 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Trans Fat | 0.081 g | 0.28 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.83 g | 6.28 g |
| Cholesterol | 6.28 mg | 21.6 mg |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3.2 g | 11 g |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 0.03 g | 0.1 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1.15 g | 3.95 g |
| Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 1.11 g | 3.81 g |
| DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid) | 0.014 g | 0.048 g |
| Arachidonic Acid | 2.59 mg | 8.88 mg |
| Medium-Chain Triglycerides | 0.089 g | 0.3 g |
| Omega-9 Fatty Acids | 2.83 g | 9.7 g |
Fibre
| Nutrient | Per serving (29 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 1.21 g | 4.14 g |
| Soluble Fiber | 0.24 g | 0.82 g |
| Insoluble Fiber | 1.08 g | 3.7 g |
Vitamins
| Nutrient | Per serving (29 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | 0.27 mcg | 0.94 mcg |
| Vitamin D | 0.037 mcg | 0.13 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 0.83 mg | 2.84 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 6.31 mcg | 21.7 mcg |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.28 mg | 0.97 mg |
| Vitamin A | 20.4 mcg RAE | 70 mcg RAE |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.057 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.05 mg | 0.17 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.16 mg | 0.54 mg |
| Pantothenic Acid (B5) | 0.3 mg | 1.04 mg |
| Vitamin E | 1.21 mg | 4.14 mg |
| Vitamin K | 2.13 mcg | 7.31 mcg |
| Biotin (B7) | 1.12 mcg | 3.86 mcg |
| Beta-Carotene | 5.53 mcg | 19 mcg |
Others
| Nutrient | Per serving (29 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Choline | 16.5 mg | 56.6 mg |
| Leucine | 349 mg | 1,197 mg |
| Lysine | 235 mg | 805 mg |
| Polyphenols | 111 mg | 383 mg |
| Methionine | 82.1 mg | 282 mg |
| Oxalates | 21 mg | 72.2 mg |
| Threonine | 163 mg | 558 mg |
| Tryptophan | 51.2 mg | 176 mg |
| Valine | 239 mg | 821 mg |
| Flavonoids | 11.4 mg | 39.1 mg |
| Histidine | 123 mg | 423 mg |
| Lutein / Zeaxanthin | 0.01 mg | 0.035 mg |
| Lycopene | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Phenylalanine | 210 mg | 719 mg |
| Purines | 4.3 mg | 14.7 mg |
Proteins
| Nutrient | Per serving (29 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Isoleucine | 203 mg | 698 mg |
Worked out from the ingredients with the GapPlate food library, per 100 g of the cooked dish (cooked weight estimated by AI; weighing the dish is more accurate). Estimates, not medical advice.
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