Holi 2018: Sweeten up festival of colours with these dishes

Holi is around the corner, and we all know that there is more to this vibrant festival than colours!

Getting together with family, and preparing delectable sweets and snacks forms one of the major parts of this festival.

To add more cheer to this feisty occasion, take your pick from this collection of mouth-watering recipes, and make this Holi all the more special.

Badam aur Gulukand Ki Kulfi by Chef Ajay Chopra

Badam aur Gulukand Ki Kulfi

Ingredients:

• Almonds whole - 200 g
• Gulabkipatti - 40g
• Milk (full fat) - 1.5 lt
• Mawa (unsweetened) - 80g
• Sugar - 70g
• Saffron - few strands

Method:

Blanch and peel the almonds and make a paste of 90 % of the almonds. Clean and soak rose petals in water and cook them in sugar till thick.Dissolve the saffron in a small bowl of warm milk to extract its flavour. The, boil the milk and reduce to 40%, add grated Mawa, almond paste, sugar and saffron extract cook till mawa is dissolved.

Pour the mixture in kulfi cones, add cooked rose petal, sliced almond and freeze it.Serve with falooda and rabri.

Maple Thandai Panna Cotta by Chef Vicky Ratnani

Maple Thandai Panna Cotta

Ingredients:

• Heavy cream 275ml
• Gelatine 2g
• Maple Syrup 140ml
• Rose water 5ml
• Saffron few strands
• Black pepper powder pinch
• Almond ground 1tsp
• Cashew nut ground 1 tsp
• Salt pinch

Method:

Soak the gelatine in 2 tbsp of cream and heat gently until it dissolves. Heat the rest of the cream to a gentle simmer. Add maple syrup, saffron, rose water, ground nuts, black pepper. Mix well until everything dissolves in it.  Stir in the gelatine mixture.

Pour into glasses or bowls or cups and chill for 4 to 5 hours until set. Garnish with grated almonds & maple whipped cream

Badam ki Phirni by Chef Kunal Kapur

Badam ki Phirni

Ingredients:

• Almonds (peeled) – 1cup
• Milk – 500ml
• Sugar –100gms
• Rice -- 2tbl spn
• Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
• Gulabjal – 1 tblspn

Method:

Chop the almonds finely and keep aside. Soak the rice for 15 mins. Now grind to a paste using little water. Keep milk for boiling, add sugar and cardamom powder. Once it boils, lower the heat and add almonds. Cook for 2 mins and then slowly add the rice paste.

Keep stirring on a slow flame till the entire milk thickens and coats thickly on the back of a spoon. Remove from flame, add gulabjal and pour in small containers. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Badam ki Kheer by Chef Kunal Kapur

Badam ki Kheer

Ingredients:

• Desi ghee – 2 tblspn
• Almonds – 1 cup
• Green cardamom pwd – 1/2 tsp
• Rice – 3 tblspn
• Milk – 1lt
• Raisins – 1/2 cup
• Sugar – 150 gms
• Almond slivers – 1 & 1/2tblspn

Method:

Soak rice for half hour. Soak raisins in water for 15 minutes. Blanch the almonds, remove skin and grind to a paste adding little water. Heat a pan and add desi ghee. Now lightly sauté the almond paste on low heat for 1 minute. Add milk and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and add rice.Cook for 15 minutes or till the rice overcooks and thickens the kheer.Add sugar and raisins. Garnish with almond slivers.

Almond and Honey Flavoured Srikhand by Chef Kunal Kapur

Almond and Honey flavoured Srikhand

Ingredients:

• Hung yogurt – 1& 1/2cup
• Powdered sugar – 2tblspn
• Almonds (toasted & crushed) – 3tblspn
• Honey – 1tblspn
• Cinnamon powder – 1/2 tsp

Method:

Blend yogurt and sugar and pour in small glasses. Fill half the glass and add toasted & crushed almonds. Pour a little honey and a pinch of cinnamon. Repeat the process. Serve chilled.

Almond, Sweet Potato and Pomegranate Chaat, White Pea Ragda by Chef Manish Mehrotra

Almond, Sweet Potato and Pomegranate Chaat

Ingredients:

• Almonds (peeled) - 15 g
• Boiled sweet potato dices - 30 g
• Pomegranate pearls - 5 g
• White pea - 20 g
• Onions chopped - 5 g
• Tomatoes chopped and deseeded - 5 g
• Chaat masala - 2 g
• Green chillies - 1 g
• Lemon juice - 3 ml
• Coriander, fresh - 1 g
• Mint chutney - 10 ml
• Saunth chutney - 15 ml
• Red chilli powder - 1 g

Method:

Boil white pea till cooked properly, for making white pea ragda. Mix chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, green chillies, fresh coriander, lemon juice, redchilli powder and chaat masala. Adjust the seasoning.

In a separate bowl, take almonds, pomegranate pearls and sweet potato. Drizzle with saunth chutney, lemon juice, chaat masala and chopped coriander. Toss it lightly.

Then, on a serving plate, mould the white pea ragda and arrange the almond chaat on top of it. Serve garnished with a coriander sprig.

Almond and Raw Banana Galawat by Chef Manish Mehrotra

Almond and Raw Banana Galawat

Ingredients:

• Almond slivers (peeled) - 80 g
• Boiled raw banana - 150 g
• Almond paste - 25 g
• Cooking cream - 20 ml
• Refined oil - 15 ml
• Mace powder - 2 g
• Cardamom powder - 2 g
• Ginger garlic paste - 20 g
• Garam masala powder - 5 g
• Red chilli powder - 3 g
• Salt - to taste
• Tempura batter - 50 g

Method:

Finely grate the boiled raw banana. Heat oil in a kadhai and add ginger garlic paste and saute it well to a light brown colour. Then, add the garam masala, red chilli powder and sauté. Then add almond paste, saute for a minute.

Add the grated raw banana and cook it till the mixture leaves the sides of the kadhai. Adjust the seasoning and finish it with mace powder and cardamom powder. Cool the mixture and divide them into small equal dumplings. Give them a patty shape, coat with tempura batter and crumb with almond slivers. Grill the patties on a non-stick pan till golden. Serve hot.

Rang Barse Badam by Chef Vicky Ratnani

Rang Barse Badam

Ingredients:

• Almonds 60 g
• Salt  to taste
• Olive oil 5 ml
• Thandai essence 1 tbsp

Method:

In a bowl, whisk the thandai essence, salt, olive oil. Add the almonds to the bowl and toss. Transfer them on to sheet and bake for 8 to 9 minutes in a moderate oven at 170 °C.