Gujiya

Gujiya is the dish that is flat out associated with Holi and is one of the biggest specialities of this auspicious occasion. This sweet dish, which is made from thickened milk and dry fruits, is simply mouth watering!



Ingredients:
500 gms maida (refined flour)
1kg khoya
3tbsps kismis (raisins)
200 gms almonds (cut into thin strips)
Cooking oil
200 ml water
500 gms sugar



Method of preparation:

1. Mix six tablespoons of oil with maida.
2. Mix well so that the mixture takes the form of breadcrumbs and binds to a certain extent.
3. Now add some water and knead lightly.
4. Keep adding water as required and knead into a soft dough.
5. Set aside and cover with a damp cloth.
6. Put the khoya in a deep-frying pan and fry till it turns light brown.
7. Add sugar to the khoya and mix well.
8. Add almonds and raisins.
9. Fry for a few minutes and remove from the flame.
10. Let it cool, roll out the kneaded dough into a chapati, thicker and smaller than a normal chapati.
11. Fill half the chapati with the khoya mixture, fold the chapati and seal the round, twisting the edges inwards.
12. Take care that the filling does not ooze out.
13. Deep fry these gujjias - a few at a time on medium flame - till they turn a deep golden brown.
14. When done, take them out with a sieve type ladle and drain the oil completely.

Aloo Ke Gutke

This snack made of potatoes is a must in Uttarakhand during Holi. Do give it a try!



Ingredients:
1kg potatoes
½ tea spoon cumin powder
1 tea spoon tumeric powder
2 tea spoon coriander powder
1 tea spoon red chilli powder
5 gms whole red chillies
2 bunches green coriander
50 gms oil
Salt to taste



How to make:
1. Boil and peel the potatoes.
2. Cut the potatoes into small pieces
3. Fry whole red chillies and keep them aside.
4. Fry cumin seeds till they start crackling and then add tumeric powder.
5. Add coriander powder and salt to the boiled potato pieces.
6. Cook on medium flame.
7. Garnish with chopped green coriander and fried chillies



Devour this snack with bhaang ki chutney for an experience that’s out of this world.

Thandai

This immensely popular drink from Rajasthan – which is made from dry fruits and saffron flavoured milk – is hard to resist.



Ingredients:
1 ltr full fat milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
10 to 12 black pepper
A few saffron strands
1/4 cup almonds
2 tbsp poppy seeds (khus-khus)
2 tbsp saunf
1/2 tsp (elaichi) powder
20 white pepper



How to make:
1. Boil the milk, keep it aside and allow it to cool completely.
2. Grind the almonds, poppy seeds, saunf, elaichi and pepper.
3. Add the ground powder and mix well.
4. Refrigerate the mixture for 3 to 4 hours.
5. Strain the mixture through a sieve, add the sugar, pepper, saffron and mix well.
6. Serve chilled.

Dahi Bhalle

One of the most popular North Indian dish, Dahi Bhalle is an important part of almost every auspicious occasion.



Ingredients
1 cup dhuli urad dal (split black gram)
1 pinch of hing
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
1 chopped green chilly
Little chopped ginger



For filling:
1 tsp chopped kaju
1 tsp kishmish
1 small tsp grated coconut
Salt to taste



For the curd:
2 cups thick yogurt
½ cup milk
Pinch of sugar
1 tsp dry roasted jeera powder
1 tsp black salt
2 tblsp sweet tamarind chutney
Few pomegranate seeds



How to make:
1. Soak the dal for 2 hrs in water and keep aside.
2. Then take out extra water and add all the ingredients of the bhalle - except oil - and grind it into a mixture.
3. Mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl.
4. Heat oil for frying in a pan.
5. Take a tablespoon of the mixture on your palm and flatten it out.
6. Place some filling in the centre.
7. Now with the help of water close the sides of the mixture on the hand. It should look like a half moon.
8. Fry them till they turn crisp and golden.
9. Now dip them in some water for ½ hour.
10. Beat the yogurt and add milk and sugar to it.
11. Gently squeeze water from the bhalle and place them in half of the beaten yogurt mixture.
12. Lay out the dahi and bhalla in a serving plate and then pour some more beaten dahi on them and sprinkle some jeera powder, black salt powder and some sweet tamarind chutney.
13. Garnish it with pomegranate seeds.

Kanji Ke Vade

Made of lentils, this lip smacking dish traditional dish from UP and Rajasthan is deep fried and best served with curd.



Ingredients:
1 kg urad Dal
1 pinch heeng
3 tsp salt
4 tsp finely ground mustard seeds
2 tsp pounded red chilies
Water
Oil
Whole red chilies



How to make:
1. Soak urad dal overnight and grind to the consistency of a cake batter.
2. Whisk the paste till it is fluffy.
3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
4. Slide the small paste-parts into the heated oil and deep fry to a golden brown colour.
5. Take care not to make the vadas too thick.
6. Take them out with a sieve type ladle and drain the oil completely.
7. Heat a tawa fire and heat hing on it.
8. As soon as it gives off the fragrance, turn an earthen pot on it.
9. Take it off from the flame and fill it with warm water.
10. Mix mustard seeds, salt, red chilli powder and whole red chillies with the water.
11. Put the fried vadas into the matka.
12. Clean the top of the matka and cover it with a clean muslin cloth and tie it securely.
13. Leave the matka in the sun during the day for eight days before it is ready to be served.

Puran Poli

Puran Poli is a sweet flatbread Marathi dish that is served on auspicious occasions like Holi. Even though the dish originated in Maharashtra, it is made in several other states in India - Karnataka, Gujarat, Goa and Andhra Pradesh.



Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 cups chana Dal
3 cups sugar or jaggery
1 cup ghee
5 powdered cardamoms
¼ nutmeg
Water as required
Salt as per taste



Method of preparation:
1. Mix flour with water.
2. Knead well to make a stiff dough.
3. Cover the dough and keep aside for 2 hours.
4. Pressure cook the dal and strain out the water.
5. Once the dal has cooled, add sugar along with 1 tbsp of ghee.
6. Cook on low flame till the gram mixture is soft and sticky.
7. Knead the dough again, adding salt, water and oil, little at a time, till the dough becomes pliable.
8. Grind the dal and sugar mixture to a smooth consistency adding a little milk if it is too dry.
9. Add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.
10. Take a lime-sized lump of the dough and a little larger lump of the dal mixture.
11. Roll out two rounds from the dough on a board sprinkled with rice flour, into flat rounds of about 7 inch in diameter.
12. Cover one round with the dal mixture, leaving half an inch at the edges, and then cover this with the second round.
13. Roll again over this to seal them together, pinching the edges to seal well.
14. Roll out like a thick chapathi.
15. Heat ghee on a hot griddle and put the puran poli on it.
16. Keep pressing and turning it so that it cooks well on both sides.
17. Keep adding ghee all around to brown it evenly without sticking to the griddle.



Your puran poli is ready to seve!

Malpua

This mouth watering Rajasthani special dessert is sure to make your Holi memorable!



Ingredients:
1½ litres milk
3 tablespoons refined flour
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
50 grams khoya
Ghee
2 cups sugar
Kesar
15 – 20 chopped pista



How to make:
1. Boil milk in a heavy-bottomed pan, keep it on medium flame till it is reduced and reaches a coating consistency.
2. Add grated khoya to the milk and mix well.
3. Bring it to room temperature.
4. Keep aside a little sugar and form a one-string syrup with the rest of the sugar in two cups of water.
5. Dissolve saffron in a teaspoon of hot milk and add it to the sugar syrup.
6. Add refined flour, cardamom powder and the left over sugar to the reduced milk.
7. Mix well and make a batter of pouring consistency using a little milk if required.
8. Heat sufficient ghee in a wide mouthed flat-bottomed pan and pour a ladle full of batter to form a pancake.
9. Cook on medium heat and turn it over when it starts to colour slightly.
10. When both sides are done, drain and immerse in the sugar syrup.
11. Garnish with pista and serve hot.



It can also be enjoyed with luke warm milk or rabri.

Khasta Kachori

This crispy snack - which originated in Rajastan - is stuffed with spiced fillings. It can be devoured at any time of the day, giving your meal a whole new twist and taste.



Ingredients:
1 cup white flour
1 tablespoon rice flour
Oil
Water
Salt
1/4 cup moong bean
1/4 cup black gram
Hing
Cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ginger paste
Green chilli paste
Asafoetida
Red chilli powder
Coriander seeds / coriander powder
Mango powder
Fennel powder
Garam masala
1 tablespoon gram flour



How to make:
1. Mix one cup of white flour, 1 tablespoon of rice flour, 2 tablespoons of oil and salt.
2. Make a dough and knead well using cold water.
3. Divide the dough into small balls. Keep them covered with moist cloth for 20 – 25 minutes.
4. While the dough is kept aside, soak ¼ cup of muoong bean and ¼ cup of black gram for 3 hours.
5. Drain the water and allow it to dry.
6. Add the oil to a frying pan. Add crushed cumin seeds and asafoetida. Wait until it turns brown. Now add the ginger and green chilli paste, gram flour and spice powders of your choice. Sauté them for a minute or two.
7. At this stage, the fillings for the kachori are ready. Place the fillings on a plate.
8. Take out the flour balls and roll them into a thick puri using a rolling pin.
9. Place the fillings in the center and enclose it with the outer part of the poori to make a pocket.
10. Heat oil in a pan on medium flame, add the kachoris and fry them until they turn golden brown.

Besan Ki Papri

This traditional snack from Central India tastes heavenly with whipped curd and tamarind chutney.



Ingredients:
1/2 kg besan
1 tsp mustard oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 cup water
1 tsp finely chopped methi leaves
1/4 kg maida



How to make:
1. Mix besan, salt, red chilli powder and oil well.
2. Knead the mixture well.
3. Add methi leaves and knead.
4. Heat oil in a deep-frying pan.
5. Rub some oil on your palm and roll out the dough into a one inch thick long strip.
6. Cut the roll into inch size pieces.
7. Flatten each piece out into a round shape and roll it into small chapatis.
8. Lightly dust both sides of the small chapatis with maida.
9. Fry very lightly till it turns golden yellow, turning the flame from medium to low as required.
10. Drain the oil using the sieve type ladle.

Bhang Ke Pakore

This Holi special snack from Rajasthan is sure to blow your mind.



Ingredients:
1 medium chopped potato
1 medium chopped onion
2 small chopped brinjals
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup besan
2 teaspoons red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon anardana
1 teaspoon bhang seed powder
Water
Oil



How to make:
1. Add dry ingredients to besan, mix well to make a batter.
2. Add all the chopped vegetables to it.
3. Heat oil in a pan, make small pakora balls from the batter and deep fry it until golden brown.
4. Serve hot with green chutney.

Namak pare

This yummy easy to make snack will make your festival memorable!



Ingreditnes:
1 cup refined maida
Salt
Oil



How to make:
1. Mix Maida, salt and 2-3 tablespoon of oil and knead it into a sturdy dough.
2. Now roll into a chapatti and cut it into rectangular pieces.
3. Deep fry and serve.

Shakarpara

This easy to make sweet is sure to melt in your mouth!



Ingredients:
200 gms refined flour
200 gms sugar
Ghee



How to make:
1. Filter the flour and keep in any utensil, put Ghee in it and knead it into a dough using water.
2. Cover the dough and keep aside for 20 minutes allowing it to ferment.
3. Break the dough into 2 pieces. Take 1 piece and roll it into a ball then flatten it with a rolling pin into a 1/4 cm thick Puri that is 10-11 inches in diameter.
4. Cut this Puri with a knife leaving 1/2 inch gaps, similarly cut from the other side making square shape pieces.
5. Also roll the other piece and cut Puri into a desired shape.
6. Pour Ghee in a frying pan, put as many shakarpare that can fit into it.
7. Fry them on a medium flame till they turn brown on all sides.
8. Now put sugar in a pan then add 1/2 cup water to it and bring it to boil.
9. Cook Chashni till sugar is dissolved completely. Pour 1 drop of Chashni in a bowl, try sticking it between your thumb and index finger. A thread should be visible when the 2 fingers are separated. Prepare Chashni with 2 threads then turn off the flame.
10. Put the fried Shakarpare in the sugar syrup and mix rigourously with a spoon till the Shakarpare are coated all over with the syrup.
11. Let it cool for a while and then devour this tasty snack.

Sweet Rice

This lip smacking dish from South India is sure to add a tinge of difference this Holi!



Ingredients:
3 ½ cups cooked rice
¾ cup sugar
2 tbsp ghee
2 sticks cinnamon (dalchini)
2 cloves
2 bayleaves (tejpatta)
a few strands of saffron dissolved in 2 tbsp warm
a few drops of saffron colour
1 tsp chopped almond
1 tsp chopped pistachio



How to make:
1. Combine the rice and sugar in a bowl, mix well and keep aside.
2. Heat the ghee in a broad non-stick pan, add the cinnamon, cloves and bayleaves and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
3. dd the rice-sugar mixture and mix well.
4. Combine the saffron-milk mixture and saffron colour in a small bowl and mix well.
5. Add this saffron mixture to the rice, mix well and cook on a slow flame for 4 to 5 minutes or till the sugar melts completely, while stirring occasionally.
6. Garnished with chopped almond and pistachio and serve hot.

-Mekhla Singh