In India, no celebration is complete without good food and drinks. Holi is no exception to that custom. So, as you play around with vibrant gulal, you simultaneously want to enjoy cold beverages and hot snacks. Although India’s food varies from region to region, there are some delicacies that are enjoyed by all during this cheerful fiesta. In this article encycloindia has come with the recipes of the most famous cuisines you can enjoy during the Festival of Colors- Holi.

Gujia

Ingredients for Cover :-

1 cup Maida (all purpose flour/plain flour) (approx. 125 gms)
1½ tablespoons Ghee
Water as needed (approx. 1/4 cup)

Ingredients for stuffing :-

1/2 cup Milk Powder or 1/2 cup (approx.50-60 gms) crumbled or grated Mawa/khoya
1/4 cup Milk
1 tablespoon Ghee
1/2 cup Desiccated Coconut (dry grated coconut)(approx. 50 gms)
1/2 cup powdered Sugar (or 1-2 tablespoons less) (approx. 70 gm)
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) chopped Mixed Nuts (Cashew Nuts, Almonds and Raisins)
1/4 teaspoon Cardamom Powder
Oil, for deep frying

Recipe for Cover

Take 1 cup maida and 1½ tablespoons ghee in a bowl with a wide mouth.
Mix ghee and maida really well using your hands for at least a minute. The mixture will look crumbly as shown in the photo. This step is necessary to make the crispy outer layer.
Add water as needed and knead stiff dough (stiffer than paratha dough). Cover it with a moist muslin cloth and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
While the dough is resting, let’s make the stuffing.

Recipe for Stuffing

You can use either mawa or milk powder to make the stuffing according to the availability.

If you’re using Mawa/Khoya :-

If you are using the frozen or refrigerated mawa, bring it at room temperature. Add mawa/khoya in a small pan and heat it over low flame.
Stir and cook the mawa for around 2-3 minutes or until it releases the little fat over medium flame. Don’t cook it for a long time.
Turn off the flame and transfer the roasted mawa to a plate. Let it cool at room temperature until it is a little warm.

If you’re using Milk powder :-

Add ghee and milk in a small pan and bring it to a boil over medium flame.
When it comes to a boil, add milk powder little by little.
Stir continuously to mix well.
Stir and cook until mixture turns thick and turns into a big lump
Transfer it to a plate/bowl and let it cool at room temperature.
When the mawa/milk powder mixture turns cool or a little warm, add dry grated coconut/desiccated coconut and chopped mixed nuts (almonds, cashews and raisins).
Mix well
Add cardamom powder and powdered sugar. (Don’t add sugar while the mawa mixture is hot, otherwise sugar melts and the mixture will turn runny).
Mix well. Stuffing is ready. It should be a little moist.

How to shape gujia

You can shape gujiya by using a mould. Follow the instruction below to shape Gujia
Knead the dough again for a minute and divide it into two equal portions. Take each portion and give it a shape like a long cylindrical roll. Cut each into 6-7 equal portions. Make a round shaped ball from each portion.
Take one ball and press it a little on a rolling board. Roll it out into a 3-inch diameter circle like puri.
Place a puri (rolled circle) over the mould. Put 2-3 teaspoons of stuffing (more or less, depending on the size) on one side of the puri. Lightly moisten the edges of puri with a wet fingertip.
Cover the stuffing by folding the puri. Now, pack it tightly and remove the extra dough.
Place raw gujiya on a plate. Cover it with a damp cloth until oil is ready for frying. Make all the gujiyas in a similar way.
Make all the gujiyas and cover them with a damp cloth. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium flame. When oil is medium hot, add 3-4 gujiyas at a time. Deep fry them until light golden brown and crispy over low-medium flame.
It will take around 4-5 minutes to deep fry each batch. Drain excess oil with a slotted spoon and transfer over kitchen paper to a plate. Gujiyas are ready. When they cool down completely, store them in an airtight container and consume within 5-7 days.

Thandai

Ingredients for Thandai :-

Milk(full-fat milk)
Dried nuts, fruits, and seeds
Spices (green cardamom pods (hari elaichi), black peppercorns (kali mirch), and fennel seeds (saunf))
Saffron

Recipe for Thandai Paste :-

Add to a medium mixing bowl.

10-12 whole almonds
10-12 whole cashew nuts
25-30 whole black peppercorns
10-12 raisins
10-12 whole green cardamoms
1 teaspoon white poppy seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon melon seeds
1 pinch of saffron strands

Add ½ cup of water to the bowl and mix everything well.
Cover the bowl with a lid and keep it over the counter for 5-6 hours or overnight.
Add the soaked ingredients and the leftover water to a blender and blend to make a fine paste.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of milk if required while blending.
Scrape the sides of the blender a few times while blending. Set the paste aside.

Cook the Thandai

Heat 4 cups of milk in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.
Stir frequently to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pan.
When the milk comes to a boil, stir in the paste that we made earlier, along with ¼ cup of granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon rose water.
Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently.
Check for sugar, add more if required, and cook for another minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool down for 10 minutes.
Transfer the milk mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate it for 3-4 hours for the flavors to mingle.

Strain the Thandai

Now pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, muslin cloth, or a nut milk bag, and discard the leftover pulp.
Pour the Thandai into serving glasses.
Garnish with fresh or dried rose petals and slivered dried nuts. Serve chilled. You can also add a few cubes to each glass.

Dahi Bhalle

Ingredients for Dahi Bhalle :-

Urad Dal – 1 cup (250 grams)
Coconut – ¼ cup (grated)
Green coriander – 3-4 tbsp
Cashew – 7-8 (finely chopped)
Black pepper – 1 tsp (crushed)
Ginger – 1 inch (finely chopped)
Asafoetida – 1 pinch (हींग)
Oil

To serve:
Curd – 1 kg
Roasted cumin powder – 1 tbsp
Black salt – a little more than 1 tbsp
Red chili powder – 1 tbsp
Mint powder – 1 tbsp
green coriander chutney
Sweet Mango Chutney

Recipe for Dahi Bhalle

Clean the urad dal thoroughly, wash it and soak it in water for 3-4 hours.
Remove excess water from the soaked dal, add urad dal without water or very little water and grind it coarsely with a mixer.
Take out the ground dal in a big utensil and beat the dal thoroughly with your hands
Prepare the stuffing to put in the vada. For this add finely chopped cashew nuts, crushed black pepper, some green coriander and finely chopped ginger to the grated coconut and mix all the things well.
To keep the curd vadas in water, take water in a big utensil and mix asafoetida and salt in this water.
To fry dahi vadas, put oil in a pan and heat it.
To make Dahi Vada, take a polythene, spread it on any board or chakla. Moisten the polythene spread on the board by applying some water.
Now take out a little dal with the help of your fingers and place it on the polythene, spread the dal a little with your hand and put some stuffing over it, now flatten some dal with your hands and close the stuffing well.
Flatten and round the Dahi Vada by pressing it with your fingers.
Remove it from the polythene with a light hand and put it in a pan for frying and fry it on low, medium flame, turning it till it turns golden brown.
Take out the vadas and put them in water containing asafoetida and salt.

Puran Poli

Ingredients for Puran Poli :-

1 cup blanched chana dal
2 tablespoon ghee
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds powder (सौंफ)
1 cup all purpose flour
salt as required
1/2 teaspoon refined oil
1 cup powdered jaggery (गुड़)
1 teaspoon powdered green cardamom
1 teaspoon nutmeg powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup water

Recipe for Puran

Rinse 1 cup of chana dal very well in water. I didn’t soak the chana dal, but you can soak the chana dal for 30 minutes to one hour and then drain the water.
In a 3 liter stovetop pressure cooker, cook the chana dal with 3 cups of water for 6 to 7 whistles on medium heat. The dal needed should not be mushy or pasty but cooked well.
Allow the pressure to release naturally, then strain the cooked dal. Keep the dal in the strainer for several minutes so that all the stock is drained. The cooked lentils have to be drained very well.
Heat 2 teaspoons ghee in a pan and add ¾ to 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder, ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder and 1 teaspoon fennel powder.
Fry for a few seconds on low heat; this will help the natural oils in the spices to awaken and taste more flavorful.
Add the cooked chana dal and 1 cup of powdered or grated jaggery. Stir and let the puran mixture cook on a low heat till the mixture becomes dry, stirring at intervals.
The puran mixture has cooked now and the below photo shows the thick, dry consistency you should have. Let this stuffing mixture cool.
Now mash the puran mixture very well with a potato masher or strainer. You need to mash the lentils thoroughly as the whole pieces of lentils may cause the dough to crack or tear while rolling.

Recipe for Poli :-

Meanwhile while the sweet lentil filling is cooling, prepare your dough to make the outer cover or poli.
Take 1.5 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Mix well.
Add a little bit of water and 4 tablespoon ghee or oil and mix.
Begin to knead the dough, adding water as required. The dough should be smooth, supple and soft. Cover and rest the dough for 15 to 20 minutes.

Assemble Puran Poli

Take a medium or large size ball from the dough. With a rolling pin, roll it 2 to 3 inches in circumference on a dusted rolling board. Place a portion of puran mixture in the center of the rolled dough.
Bring the edges together towards the center
Sprinkle some flour and start rolling the dough.
Make a medium or large circle (poli) as depending upon the size of the dough and puran filling you took. The cover should be rolled rather thin, so you can almost see the filling beneath it.
On a heated tawa or griddle, spread some ghee.
Place the rolled poli/dough circle on the tawa.
When one side gets browned, turn over and cook the other side till you see some brown spots.
Once the second side gets browned, then turn over and apply ghee. If everything is done properly then puran poli will puff up.
Make all pooran poli this way and stack them in a casserole or in a kitchen napkin.
You can serve puran poli warm or at room temperature with milk, ghee or curd (yogurt). Enjoy!

Malpua

Ingredients of Malpua

1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoon khoya
1 teaspoon powdered green cardamom
2 tablespoon chopped pistachios
saffron as required
1 tablespoon semolina (सूजी)
water as required
1 and 1/2 cup refined oil
10 gm readymade rabri
1 and 1/2 cup sugar syrup

Recipe for batter of Malpua :-

In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf), and 3 to 4 crushed green cardamom pods (discard the peels) or ⅓ teaspoon cardamom powder. Mix the dry ingredients well.
Add 3 tablespoons grated khoya (mawa or dried milk solids) and 3 tablespoons curd/yogurt. Please use fresh yogurt. You can use whole milk powder or dairy whitener instead of khoya.
Add ½ cup water.
Begin to stir with a wired whisk.
Stir to a thick to medium-thick, flowing batter without any lumps. Cover and allow the batter to rest for 30 to 40 minutes or up to about 2 hours at room temperature.

Prepare Nuts

While the batter is resting, blanch the almonds and pistachios in hot water. Keep them soaked in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes, then peel them.
Slice them and keep them aside.

Prepare Sugar Syrup

Just before you begin to fry the malpua, prepare the sugar syrup. Heat ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water. Here I have used raw sugar, hence this golden color.
Simmer this mixture on low heat, stirring well so the sugar melts.
You need to have a ½ string or 1 string consistency in the sugar syrup. If you cannot achieve these string consistencies then just make a sticky syrup.
The sugar syrup must be kept warm. Keep the sugar syrup pan on top of a bowl or another pan filled with hot water to prevent the sugar from crystalizing. The hot water should touch the base of the pan containing the sugar syrup.

Fry Malpua

Heat 4 tablespoons of ghee in a pan or griddle. You can deep fry them if you prefer, though you’ll need much more ghee.
For a lighter version, you can use any neutral flavored oil for frying. You can also use less oil and cook them like pancakes.
Add 3 pinches (⅛ teaspoon) baking soda to the malpua batter before frying. Instead of baking soda, you can add ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
Mix very well. This is important as you want the baking soda to be mixed evenly.
Lower the heat. Either take 2 to 3 tablespoons or a ladle of the batter and gently pour it on the hot ghee.
Spread the batter lightly with the back of the spoon. Make 2 to 4 malpua at a time, depending on the size of the pan. Fry on low to medium heat.
When the base becomes light golden, gently and carefully flip over using a spatula.
Flip once more and fry the other side.
Flip again and fry till they have a crisp edge and are golden. Working in batches, continue to fry malpua this way, adding more ghee if required.
Drain them on paper towels to remove excess fat.

Serve Malpua

After a quick drain on paper towels, immediately place the fried malpua in the warm sugar syrup.
Gently coat them with the sugar syrup with the help of a spoon or small tongs.
Remove the malpua and place them in a serving tray or plate.
Pour some rabri on top. Garnish with the chopped almonds, pistachios and crushed saffron. Serve rabri malpua hot or warm.

Rasmalai

Ingredients for Rasmalai :-

For chenna:
2 liter milk
2 tbsp vinegar
1½ cup sugar
3 pod cardamom
7 cup water

for rabdi:
1 liter milk
few saffron
pinch saffron
food color
½ cup sugar
¼ tbsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp nuts (chopped)

Recipe for Chenna :-

Firstly, get 2 liters to a boil stirring in between to prevent it from burning.
add 2 tbsp vinegar and stir. you will notice the milk starts to curdle.
add 1 more tbsp of vinegar and stir until the milk curdles fully separating water.
drain off the water over the cheesecloth. You can use any clean cloth here.
rinse with cold water to remove sourness and stop cooking.
squeeze the paneer gently and hang for 30 minutes.
Now take the moist paneer and crumble gently.
using the palm, start to knead gently.
knead until the paneer mixture turns smooth without any grains. do not over-knead here as the rasgulla will turn hard.
pinch a small ball sized chenna and prepare smooth crack free balls, flatten slightly.
keep the flattened paneer ball aside and cover with a moist cloth.

Recipe for Rabri :-

Firstly, in a large kadai heat 1-liter milk, few saffron and a pinch of saffron food color.
stir and get the milk to a boil.
continue to cook until the milk thickens slightly.
Now add ½ cup sugar and continue to boil.
do not make very thick milk as it will be difficult for chenna to absorb milk.
Also, add ¼ tsp cardamom powder and 2 tbsp nuts. mix well.

Recipe to Boil Rasmalai in Sugar Syrup :-

Firstly, in a large vessel, take 1½ cup sugar, 3 pods of cardamom and 7 cups of water.
stir and dissolve sugar.
Now boil the water for 5 minutes or until the syrup turns slightly sticky.
drop in a prepared flattened paneer ball keeping the flame on high.
cover and boil for 7 minutes or until the size of the ball doubles.
chenna has been cooked well. keep aside.

Serve Rasmalai

squeeze off the sugar syrup from the cooked paneer balls.
Place them in a tray and pour in the prepared rabdi.
rest for at least 4 hours or until the rasmalai is soaked well.
Finally, enjoy rasmalai slightly warmed or chilled.