Holi Hai! Indulge in These Delicious Recipes to Celebrate the Festival of Colours

Whether you're cooking for family or hosting a festive gathering, these dishes are sure to add a delicious touch to the celebrations. For more inspiration beyond these recommendations, tune into Audible, where you can find plenty of food-focused podcasts with recipe ideas!

Mawa Gujiya

Ingredients:

1. Full Cream Milk: 2 litres (yields approximately 400g khowa)
2. All-Purpose Flour (Maida): 3 cups
3. Oil: 1/2 cup
4. Water: as required
5. Maida: 2 tbsp
6. Water: 3 tbsp
7. Homemade Khowa: 400g
8. Semolina (Suji), Roasted: 1/2 cup
9. Coconut, Grated: 1/2 cup
10. Sugar: 1 cup
11. Cardamom Powder (Elachi): 4 pods
12. Ghee/Oil: as required

Method:

• Pour the milk into a large, thick-bottomed pan and place it on medium heat. Allow the milk to boil, then reduce the flame to low and simmer. Stir at regular intervals to prevent burning and scrape milk solids from the sides back into the milk.
• As the milk thickens, it will resemble rabri. Continue simmering and stirring until the milk reduces completely and bubbles stop appearing.
• Transfer the khowa to a bowl and let it cool.
• In a bowl, mix maida and oil. Rub the oil into the flour using your fingers until the mixture appears crumbly.
• Gradually add water and knead into a soft dough. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix maida and water to form a smooth paste. Set aside.
• In a bowl, mix khowa, roasted semolina, grated coconut, sugar, and cardamom powder. Stir well and set aside.

• Knead the rested dough for a minute and divide it into equal portions. Roll out each portion into a 4-5 inch disc.

• Place a spoonful of the filling on one side, leaving space at the edges. Apply the sealant to the edges. Fold the disc in half to form a crescent shape and press the edges to seal. Twist the sealed edge to form a decorative pleat. Repeat for the remaining dough and filling.

• Heat ghee/oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Once moderately hot, gently slide in the gujiya and fry until golden brown and crisp. Drain on an absorbent paper. It’s ready to serve!

Malpua

Ingredients:

1. Maida (All-purpose flour): 1 cup
2. Full Cream Milk: 1½ cups
3. Cashew Nuts: 1 tbsp, broken
4. Raisins: 1 tbsp
5. Dry Coconut: 1 tbsp, chopped
6. Cardamom: 4 pods, crushed
7. Fennel Seeds: ½ tsp (optional)
8. Water: 3 cups
9. Sugar: 2 cups
10. Green Cardamom Powder: 1 tsp
11. Oil: As required

Method:

• To prepare the batter, in a mixing bowl, take maida and add milk gradually, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
• Add crushed cardamom, followed by cashew nuts, raisins, and chopped dry coconut. Mix well. Stir in fennel seeds (if using) and let the batter rest for about 15–20 minutes.
• For the sugar syrup, combine sugar and water in a large vessel. Add green cardamom powder and mix well.

• Cook over medium heat until the syrup reaches one-string consistency. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai (deep pan) over medium flame. Pour one small ladle of the batter into the hot oil.
• Fry until golden brown, flipping to cook both sides evenly. Remove the fried pua from the oil and transfer it directly into the warm sugar syrup. Repeat the process for the remaining batter.
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• Let the puas soak in the syrup for a few minutes. Serve the syrup-infused ras puas warm!

Holi Special Thandai

Ingredients:

1. Full Fat Milk: 1 litre
2. Sugar: To taste
3. Cashewnuts: 1/4 cup, soaked
4. Almonds: 1/4 cup, soaked
5. Pistachios: 1/4 cup, soaked
6. Cardamom: 10 pods, soaked
7. Peppercorns: 10, soaked
8. Watermelon Seeds (Magaj): 2 tbsp, soaked
9. Fennel Seeds: 1 1/2 tbsp, soaked
10. Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus): 2 tbsp, soaked
11. Cinnamon Powder: 1/2 tsp
12. Rose Petals: 1 tbsp
13. Saffron: A generous pinch, soaked in a little warm milk or water
14. Water/Milk: A dash, for blending
15. Ice Cubes: Few, for serving

Method:

• Drain the soaked nuts and spices.
• In a blender, add cashewnuts, almonds, pistachios, cardamom, peppercorns, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, watermelon seeds, cinnamon powder, and saffron. Pour in 2-3 tablespoons of warm milk or water and blend into a smooth paste.

• In a deep non-stick pan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Add sugar and stir until it completely dissolves.
• Stir in the prepared thandai paste and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes, ensuring all flavors blend together.
• Remove from heat, let it cool slightly, then transfer to a jar. Refrigerate for a few hours until well chilled.
• Pour into serving glasses. Garnish with chopped pistachios and rose petals. You can add ice cubes just before serving or enjoy at room temperature!