Try these easy-to-make delectable snacks and drinks at home and make your Holi celebration more delicious, happy and special!
It is that time of the year when the streets are filled with vibrant colours when children are running around with their water guns and water balloons. Yes, the festival of colours, Holi, is just around the corner. Festivals furnish us with another opportunity to get together with families, exchange gifts and prepare some typical mouth-watering delicacies. And speaking of Holi, it is all about snacking and playing with colours of happiness.
Several households often prepare delicacies like gujiya, samosa, papdhi at home. Here are chef-recommended easy-to-make recipes.
Holi Special Recipes to Try at Home
1.MAWA GUJIYA
This Holi, dive into the world of flavours as you savour the delectable Mawa Gujiyas, prepared with precision and expertise by renowned Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, that have been fried to golden perfection using the wholesome goodness of Dalda Vanaspati. A delectable treat featuring a rich khoya filling enveloped in a crispy outer layer, fried to excellence promises a memorable Holi celebration infused with tradition and innovation
- Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
- Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
- Dalda Vanaspati for deep frying
- 2 cups refined flour (maida)
- 1 cup grated khoya/ mawa
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ tsp green cardamom powder
- 10-15 raisins
- 2 tbsps chopped cashew nuts
- 2 tbsps chopped almonds
- A generous pinch of saffron
- Blanched, peeled and sliced pistachios to sprinkle
- Dried rose petals to sprinkle
Method
- Heat the oil in a kadai.
- Take refined flour in a bowl. Add 3 tbsps melted Dalda Vanaspati from the kadai. Add ¾ cup water and knead to stiff dough. Cover with a moist muslin cloth and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
- For stuffing, take khoya in a bowl. Add sugar, green cardamom powder, raisins, cashew nuts, almonds, saffron and mix well.
- Divide the dough into equal portions and roll into balls. Dip each ball in melted Dalda Vanaspati and flatten.
- Roll out into thick disks. Place a portion of the stuffing in the centre, apply water on the edges and fold other side over. You can also use moulds alternately. Pinch the edges to make a pattern. You can also shape them like samosas.
- Deep fry on medium heat till golden brown and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper and allow to cool.
- Sprinkle blanched pistachios, dried rose petals and serve.
2.FRIED OR BAKED MAWA CHILGOZA GUJIYA
This recipe is beginner-friendly by Chef Sachin Malik, Executive Chef, Radisson Blu MBD Noida. It’s easy to follow if you’ve not made Gujiya at home before.
Ingredients for the dough
- 2 cups- All-purpose flour / Maida
- ¼ tsp- Salt
- 6 tbsp- Ghee / Clarified butter
- Water is required for kneading
- For frying
- Vegetable oil (as required for deep frying)
Ingredients for filling
- 1 cup- Khoya (grated)
- ½ Cup – Chopped Pine Nuts ( Chilgoza)
- 1/8 tsp.- Cardamom powder
- ¼ cup- Caster sugar / White or Brown powdered sugar
In a frying pan, sauté the grated mawa over low heat for 5-6 minutes or until it turns light brown. Keep aside, and cool completely. Now add sugar, cardamom powder, and chopped Chilgoza to the cooled mawa. Mix well and keep aside.
Method
- Make lemon-sized balls from the dough.
- Apply vegetable oil over a surface, and start rolling the dough balls separately.
- Start rolling each ball to a 3.5” diameter round.
- Add 1½ tbsp mawa mixture in the middle of the circle. Apply water by using your finger to seal the edges.
- Now fold the pastry circle to a half-moon shape and press the edges gently to seal. You can use a pizza cutter to trim the edge. Use a fork to crimp the edges of the Gujiyas.
For Frying
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan/kadai.
- Start frying the Gujiyas over low-medium heat until golden in colour.
- Take them out with a slotted spoon, and drain them on paper napkins.
- You can consume them after frying, or serve them at room temperature, Enjoy!
- Keep the rest of the fried Gujiyas in an airtight container at room temperature, and consume within 5 days.
For Air Frying & Baking
- Apply ghee over the Gujiyas by using a pastry brush.
- Preheat the Air fryer to 180 degrees C for 5 minutes.
- Grease the Air fryer basket base with vegetable oil.
- Air fry the Gujiyas for 15 minutes, and flip them in between.
- Take them out from the Air Fryer basket and keep them aside to cool.
- Alternatively, you can bake the Gujiyas in a preheated OTG at the same temperature.
- Transfer the Gujiyas to a baking paper-lined, oven-safe tray and bake them for 20-25 minutes or until they turn golden and crisp to the touch.
- Baked Gujiyas can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, and consumed within 10-12 days.
3. SHAKAR PARE
Ingredients
- 2 cups Aashirvaad Atta
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- ½ cup water / as required
- 1 cup sugar / grated or powdered Jaggery
- ¼ Cup rawa
- A few saffron strands (kesar)
Method
- Take 2 cups atta, rawa, saffron, sugar, ghee in a mixing bowl.
- Add water and knead to make a dough.
- The dough needs to be semi-soft.
- Roll the dough into a round shape. Using the cookie cutter cut out the desired shapes.
- Deep fry in hot oil till they turn golden in color from both sides.
- Your crispy and delicious Shakar Pare is ready! Serve them alongside a savoury dish of your choice!
Preparation Time: 30 Minutes
4. CHOORAFALI
Ingredients
- 1½ cup Aashirvaad Atta
- 1 tsp Ajwain
- 1 tsp Aashirvaad Salt
- 2 tbsp Aashirvaad Ghee
- Water as required
- Flour for dusting
- Oil for frying
Method
- In a bowl add in Aashirvaad Atta, Ajwain, Aashirvaad Salt, Aashirvaad Ghee, water and form a smooth dough.
- On a board, dust some flour and roll out the dough into a chapati shape.
- Cut the chapati into thin strips.
- Fry the strips in oil until golden brown and serve!
Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
SWEET SAMOSA
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mawa Grated
- 1/2 cup Mixed Dry Fruits
- 1 ½ cup Aashirvaad Atta
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- ½ cup Water
- Oil For Frying
Method
- In a bowl mix grated mawa and dry fruits for the filling
- Now in another bowl add in Aashirvaad Atta, ghee and water and make a smooth dough.
- Take a small portion of the dough and roll it into an oval shape and cut it into half and apply water on the edges
- Make a cone and fill it with the filling and give it a samosa shape.
- Fry the samosas in oil on a low flame until golden brown.
- Glaze them with some sugar syrup/honey and serve!
Preparation Time: 25 Minutes
5. MURUKKU
Ingredients
- Wheat Flour – 1 cup
- Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
- White Sesame Seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Butter (at room temperature) – 1/2 tsp
- Hing – 1/8 tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – to deep fry
Method
- Measure wheat flour and transfer the flour to a clean white cloth. Bring the ends and tie a knot so that no moisture goes inside. Steam cook for at least 20 mins. Can use idli steamer with water underneath while placing the bag on idiyappam plate. Keep covered with a lid and steam cook.
- After 20 mins, let it cool down a bit. Once its warm enough to handle open the bag. Break the lumps with a spoon. Now sieve it, discard the coarse mixture
- Now take the flour in a mixing bowl along with red chilli powder, butter, hing, sesame seeds and required salt. Mix it well with your hands first.
- Now add water little by little to form a smooth non-sticky dough. You can see how clean it has come together as it’s non-sticky. Take your murukku press and grill it well.
- Fill your murukku press with the dough and start pressing into murukkus. You can press it in 2 ladles and flip it in oil. You can even press it directly into the oil.
- Deep fry till golden browned. Drain in tissue paper. Repeat the process until the entire dough is finished!
Preparation Time: 35 Minutes
6. PISTA SANDESH by Chef Meghana
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz California Pistachios blanched
- 5-6 Cardamom pods
- 1 cup Cottage cheese (paneer)
- 1/4 cup Condensed milk
- 1 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
- Rose petals as desired for garnish
- Edible gold leaf as desired for garnish
Method
- Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods. In a blender, combine the California Pistachios and the cardamom seeds and process until a paste-like consistency is achieved.
- In a skillet combine paste, cottage cheese, and condensed milk.
- Heat mixture over low heat while stirring continuously until mixture is well combined and loosens from the bottom of the skillet.
- Add one tablespoon of ghee/clarified butter and mix until combined. Place mixture into a well-greased baking tray and refrigerate until set.
- Garnish with chopped blanched California Pistachios, rose petals, and edible gold leaf. Cut, and serve.
7.SAFFRON MANGO COLD BREW COFFEE
Add a splash of coffee to the festival of colours with a refreshing and exotic brew by Ronit Saha, NPD Executive, Third Wave Coffee. This recipe offers a delightful fusion of fruity sweetness from mango and the subtle floral notes of saffron, perfectly complementing the smoothness of cold brew coffee.
Ingredients
- 240 ml cold brew coffee
- 60 ml mango juice
- A pinch of saffron threads (about 4-5 threads)
- 5-10 ml honey or sugar (optional, adjust to taste)
- Ice cubes
- Mango slices and saffron strands for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Prepare your cold-brew coffee. You can either make it at home by steeping coarsely ground coffee beans in cold water overnight or use Third Wave Coffee cold brew bags
- In a small saucepan, pour the mango juice and add the saffron threads. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it starts to simmer. Let it simmer for about 2-3 minutes to infuse the saffron flavour into the mango juice. Remove from heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
- Once the mango saffron mixture has cooled, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any sediments, solid particles or saffron threads, if desired. This step is optional, but it will result in a smoother texture.
- In a glass, combine the cold brew coffee with the mango saffron syrup. Stir well to mix everything together.
- Taste the mixture and adjust sweetness according to your preference by adding honey or sugar, stirring until dissolved.
- In a separate glass, fill up some ice cubes, pour the saffron mango cold brew coffee over the ice.
- Garnish with mango slices and a few saffron strands for an elegant touch, if desired.
- Stir gently before serving to ensure the flavours are well combined.
- Feel free to adjust the sweetness and intensity of saffron according to your taste preferences.
8.MALAI KULCHA
Hop on the gastronomical spree and try this easy-to-make Malai Kulcha by Punjab Grill.
Preparation Time – 30 minutes.
Cooking Time – 20 minutes.
Ingredients:-
Kulcha dough:
- Maida-3cups
- Baking Powder-½ tsp
- Butter-¾ cup
- Sugar-1½ tsp
- Salt-½ tsp
- Kasoori Methi-1 tsp
- Maida for dusting
Filling:
- Cream Cheese- 1.5 cup
- Processed Cheese-1 cup
- Yellow Chilli Powder-1 tsp
- Green Chilli-3-4 finely chopped
- Coriander leaves-1 tsp finely chopped
- Ginger- 1 tsp finely chopped
Tomato Murabba:
- Tomato-5-7 medium size
- Sugar- 2 tbsp
- Ginger- 1 tbsp finely chopped
- Kalonji- ½ tsp
- Deggi Mirch-1 tsp
- Vinegar-1 tbsp
- Salt-1 tsp
- Oil-1 tbsp
Method:
Kulcha Dough
- Mix all the dry ingredients. Add about 2 tbsp of butter to the flour and combine it all together.
- Add water and knead it to a soft dough. Rest the dough for about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Murabba & filling as described in the recipe below.
- Roll the dough for about ½ inch thick into a rectangle.
- Spread the butter uniformly on the rolled-out dough. Sprinkle flour on the butter and fold the edges inward to the centre, then fold again at the centre line, as if closing a thick book.
- Keep the dough in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
- Roll out the dough gently again in rectangular and fold it in two-fold like folding a letter, overlapping one edge on top of the other edge.
- Cut the dough into 6 equal parts cover and keep refrigerated. The dough can be prepared beforehand a day prior.
Tomato Murabba:
- Blanch the tomatoes, remove the skin & seed. Roughly chop them.
- In a pan heat oil, add kalonji, ginger & degi mirch.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes, cook till it gets soft.
- Add remaining ingredients once the tomatoes are cooked and get thickened, take off the flame cool down & store.
Filling:
- Grate processed cheese & mix all the ingredients.
- Adjust the chilies as desired.
- Divide the filling into 6 equal parts.
Kulcha:
- Pre heat the oven to 220oC.
- Fill the dough with the cheese filling and very gently roll the kulchas. Make sure it doesn’t tear up.
- Bake the kulchas in the oven for 8-10 minutes or till it turns golden brown.
- Take out from oven apply some butter & serve with tomato Murabba.
Note: if you don’t have an oven simply cook on a tawa like parathas.
Happy and Delectable Holi!