Holi Special: Recipes : Gujia

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Holi Special: Recipes

Besan Papdi

This traditional dish from Uttar Pradesh can be easily made at home and tastes the best with dahi and imli chutney
Ingredients:
1/2 kg - Besan (Gram flour)
1 tsp - Mustard Oil
1 tsp – Salt
1 tsp - Red chilli powder
1 cup – Water
1 tsp - Methi leaves (chopped fine)
1/4 kg - Maida (Flour).
Method:
Mix besan, salt, red chilli powder and oil well
Knead the mixture into dough
Add methi leaves and knead again to soft dough.
Heat oil in a deep-frying pan.
Rub some oil on your palm and roll out the dough into a long strip one inch thick.
Cut the roll into inch size pieces.
Flatten each piece out into a round shape and roll it into small chapatis.
Lightly dust both sides of the small chapatis with maida.
Fry very lightly to a golden yellow color, turning the flame from medium to low as required.
Drain oil using the sieve type ladle.

Kanji Ke Vade

Made of lentils, the vadas are deep fried and is best served with dahi

Ingredients
1 kg Urad Dal
2 pcs (small) Hing
3 tsp Salt
4 tsp Rai (finely ground)
2 tsp Red Chilies (pounded)
6 jugs Water
Oil, for deep frying
Whole Red Chilies, for garnish

Method

Soak urad dal overnight and grind to the consistency of a cake batter.
Whisk the paste till it is fluffy.
Heat oil well in a deep frying pan.
Slide the small paste-parts into the heated oil and deep fry to a golden brown color.
Take care not to make the vadas too thick.
Take them out with a sieve type ladle and drain the oil completely.
Keep a tawa on the fire and heat crystals of hing on it.
As soon as it gives off the fragrance, turn an earthen pot on it.
Take it off the fire and fill it with warm water.
Mix rai, salt, red chilli powder and whole red chillies into the water.
Put the fried vadas into the matka.
Clean the top of the matka and cover it with a clean muslin cloth and securely tied.
Leave the matka in the sun during the day for eight days before it is ready to be served.

Onion Bhajia

The quintessential onions fritters can be eaten with thandai or bhang.

Ingredients

Chickpea Flour (Besan)
1 cup Oil
2 tbsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Chopped Green Chillies (Jalapeno) 1-2 each
1/2 cup Water
1 1/2 cup Sliced Onion

Method

Mix first set of ingredients well. Beat in a blender for 4-5 minutes to incorporate air (this will make the batter fluffier).
Let batter rest 1/2 hour in a warm place.
Dip onions in batter to coat.
Deep fry in oil that is heated to 375°.
Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
Serve with cilantro or mint chutney.

Kesar Chawal

Holi lunches are incomplete without Kesar chawal. The yellow rice is a must for every Holi lunch.

Ingredients

1 cup long grain Indian Basmati Rice
2 cup warm water and extra water, for washing and soaking rice
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Saffron Strands
1 Bay Leaf
2 - 2 inch Cinnamon Sticks
4 Green Cardamoms
15-20 pieces of Paneer (Cottage Cheese) cubes (about 1cm x 1 cm each)
1/3 cup Raisins
10 Cashew Nuts
A little Hot Milk
2 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter), for frying

Method

Wash rice thoroughly and soak in water for half an hour. Drain thoroughly.
Soak saffron in a little hot milk for about 15 minutes, till milk is a deep orange-yellow colour. You may vary the quantity of saffron, depending upon it`s quality.
Heat oil in a wok. Fry the cashewnuts till golden. Drain and set aside. Next, fry the paneer cubes, till light golden, drain and set aside.
In a pan, heat ghee or clarified butter. Add the bay leaf, cardamom and cinnamon.
Add the rice. Add salt. Stir till ghee coats every grain of rice and rice looks glossy.
Add warm water. Bring to a boil. Add the raisins. Stir once.
Reduce heat to minimum and cover the pan with a lid.
When holes appear on the surface and water has almost evaporated, lightly fork in the paneer cubes. Sprinkle the saffron liquid on top.
When water has completely evaporated, fork the rice out onto a serving serving dish. This will separate each grain out. This rice will have a beautiful mix of white and yellow and half coloured grains.
Garnish with fried cashewnuts. Serve hot with any creamy curry.

Thandai

This delicious drink, a must during Holi and Shivratri, adds charm to the festivals.

Ingredients:

11/2 liter Milk
1/2 cup Sugar(or as per taste)
1/2 tbsp Aniseed
1 tbsp Almonds
A few Saffron Strands
1 tsp Cardamom powder
1 tbsp Dried watermelon seeds
1/2 tbsp Poppy seeds
1/4 Cup fresh rose petals

Method

Boil milk and allow it to cool.
Meanwhile soak aniseed, almonds, watermelon seeds, poppy seeds and rose petals in water.
Grind soaked ingredients to make a smooth paste.
Pour some water into this paste and strain through muslin strainer.
Extract the liquid into a vessel. Add the sugar, peppercorns, powdered cardamom, saffron and mix well. Now blend the above-made mix with milk. It is preferable if it is full cream.
Chill before serving. You can also add ice cubes.

Gujia

Holi is unimaginable without Gujia. Now you can make the perfect Gujias by following this simple recipe.

Ingredients

550 gms maida (flour)
1.25 kg khoya
5 tbsps raisins
200 gms almonds (cut into thin strips)
6 tbsps cooking oil. (keep some more aside for deep frying)
200 ml water
500 gms sugar

Method

Mix the six tablespoons of oil with the maida.
Now add some water as required and knead into soft dough. Set aside and cover with a damp cloth. Fry khoya in a deep-frying pan to a light brown colour.
Add sugar, almonds and kismis into the khoya and mix well. Remove from the fire and let it cool.
Roll out the kneaded dough into a small and thick chapatti.
Fill half the chapati with the khoya mixture and seal the round, twisting the edges inwards.
Deep-fry these gujias to a deep golden brown colour on slow flame. Take them out with a sieve type ladle and drain the oil completely.