Pink hands, green cheeks, red forehead, yellow nose-it’s time to immerse yourself in vibrant spirits, mouth-watering delicacies, bags filled with colors, water guns loaded with mischief, and festive goodies with blossoming spring breeze. Ah, we love Holi Festival!
This is how we have been celebrating the festival colors all the while with great enthusiasm to get drenched in colored water and enjoy scrumptious delights.
Different regions in India celebrate Holi in their own way. In Mathura, the festival of colors is popularly known as “Lath Maar Holi”, where women beat their husband with sticks and sing songs. In West Bengal, Holi is known as “Swing Festival”, where Radha and Krishna are worshipped.
The festivals are celebrated in different ways everywhere but no festival is complete without mouth-watering delicacies. Food is an integral part of every festival. Festivals are the perfect time to indulge yourself in the festive zeal with playful moments and adoring meals. When we talk about Holi celebrations, we think of sweet gujiyas, masala kachoris, thandai, and a lot more. Isn’t it?
So, while you prepare yourself to enjoy Holi with gulaal, water guns, singing, and dancing, add colors to your diners experience with these delightful dishes. It’s time to savor on tasty food and enjoy the colors of festivity.
Gujiya-A traditional Holi dish
Gujiya are sweet dumplings made of maida or flour, filled with khoya and dry fruits mixture. It is famous in the northern parts of India. This festive favorite is a must to include in your dessert list on the special occasion of Holi Festival. This sweet dish comes in different variants:
Chocolate Gujiya
Try out going fusion this Holi. You might have made gujiyas filled with dry fruits and khoya. Why not try gujiyas stuffed with mava and chocolate chips. You can add cocoa powder or chocolate powder with mava and fill the dumplings. Garnish it with cream and chocolate sauce. Your kids will also love it!
Coconut Gujiya
Make gujiyas with all-purpose flour stuffed with dry fruits and coconut flakes. You can either bake them or fry them and dip it in the sugar syrup.
Bhaang Ladoos
Bhaang has become synonymous with Holi as it’s consumed in the Indian traditions and customs since ancient times. In Ayurveda, bhaang has properties to release anxiety. With so many specialties, you can’t miss out on this traditional Holi dish. Add bhaang ladoos in your list to make your Holi more delightful and fun.
Coconut Thandai
Thandai is most popular in northern states of India, especially in Rajasthan. It is among those holi special drinks traditionally made with saffron, almonds, pistachios, cardamom powder, sugar, milk, and different kind of herbs. All these ingredients are blended well with milk and is served chilled.
To try out something different blend coconut in the milk with all other ingredients. Thandai with a twist!
If you want to try bhaang on this festival of Holi, Mixing bhaang in Thandai is a great combination to savour the taste.
Kachori
Kachoris, again the mouth-watering dish of northern parts of India. Kachoris are stuffed with a spicy mixture of arhar dal (a kind of yellow pulse), spices, fried and crisp. There are a number of varieties of Kachoris, Khasta Kachori, Matar Ki LKachori, Pyaz Ki Kachori, Dal Ki Kachori.
The outer layer of kachori is made of all purpose flour (maida) and then it is stuffed with the spicy mixture of peas or dal or onions. It’s a fried snack served with tamarind and coriander chutneys.
Dahi Vada and Kanji Vada
Made with urad dal and moong dal, this Holi delicacy is deep fried dumplings soaked in yogurt and topped with tangy tamarind chutney, coriander chutney, spices like chili powder, cumin powder, and salt. The sweet, sour, and salty taste of the dish is just to die for. You can add other ingredients as well as per your preference and taste.
Kanji is a dark wine-coloured, tangy drink to quench the thirst of many during Holi. To add wine color in Kanji, sliced beetroot can be added along with sliced carrot, powdered mustard seeds, red chili, salt, and water. Keep this mixture under sunlight for 3-4 days to get the best taste of Kanji. And soak vadas in this tangy water for an adoring taste.
Mango Basundi
Mango Basundi is a famous traditional dessert in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is basically thickened milk flavoured with cardamom, saffron, rose water and lots of mangoes pieces and pulps. The taste of mangoes and creamy milk is delightful and give a royal taste. The sprinkle of dry fruits enhances the taste of this classic dessert that soothes your taste buds after a heavy meal.
Falooda
This refreshing dessert is actually a Persian drink that got really popular in India. Made with a milk base, falooda vermicelli, falooda seeds (babchi) fruits, ice-cream, rose syrup, sugar, and dry fruits toad crunchy element to it. This is a mouth-watering delicious recipe really hard to resist. This recipe will surely impress everyone with its luscious taste. Falooda comes in different varieties-Kesar Flaooda, Mango Falooda, Raspberry Falooda, Custard Falooda and you can try out your own innovation.
Chocolate Shrikhand
You might have heard of Kesar Shrikhand and Mango Shrikhand but ever thought of trying Chocolate Shrikhand? Shrikhand in chocolate avatar be a surprise for chocolate lovers. You can give a chocolaty twist to the traditional shrikhand that would be loved by the kids as well as adults. The creamy texture and chocolaty taste would make everyone love the dish.
Broken Maize Yogurt
This is a dish made with broken maize or corn kernels crushed into smaller pieces which is first boiled and then mixed with yogurt with some spices like cumin powder, chili powder, and salt. It is a famous dish of Rajasthan.
Along with the nutritional benefits of broken maize its super quick, easy, delicious, and can be served with any meal as a side dish.
Kulfi
Who doesn’t love a creamy concoction that is delicately fragrant and frozen? One of the most loved Indian desserts- Kulfi! Kulfi traditionally has one primary ingredients-full fat milk that has to be boiled for hours to adorn a smooth and caramelized flavour. The secret to this lovely dessert is the right amount of caramelization of milk.
You can try out a variety of kulfi from paan kulfi to choco-dip kulfi. The base is the same, you just have to add the flavors you like. So, which flavour are you trying out this Holi?
Apart from all the traditional dishes, try out some fusion delicacies this Holi.
This Holi Festival, eat to your heart’s content!
Happy Holi
