Menu for Holi Festival

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The special food items that are prepared for Holi are gujjia, papri, Jalebis and gulab Jamuns. Thandai and other beverages are also served along with the food. Holi is celebrated with special sweets.

In western India, puranpoli, gurpoli and sakharpoli offer a taste of the newly harvested jaggery or sugar. In the north, gujias made with khoya and nut stuffing and sugar batashas are shared by families and friends.

In the south, different varieties of sweet rice and fruit mixtures are offered to guests with their sherbets or cold beverages.

1 1/2 liters water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. almonds
1 tbsp. kharbooj/tarbooj seeds skinned (commercially available)
1/2 tbsp. khuskhus (poppy seeds)
1/2 tbsp. saunf (aniseed)
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder or 15 whole pods
1/2 tsp. rose water (optional)
1 tsp. peppercorns whole
1/4 cup dried or fresh rose petals (gulkand variety)

Method

2.Wash clean all other dry ingredients, except cardamom if using powder. Soak in 2 cups of remaining water. Keep aside.

3. Allow all soaked items to stand for at least 2 hours. Grind all soaked ingredients to a very fine paste. (not sugar)

4.Use a stone grinder (manual or electric) if possible. When the paste is very fine, mix remaining water.

5. Place a strong muslin strainer over a large deep vessel. Or tie a strong muslin cloth over rim of vessel and use to strain.

6. Press through muslin with back of palms, extracting the liquid into vessel. Add remaining water, a little at a time to extract more.

7. Pour back some of the extract and press, repress. Repeat this process till the residue becomes dry and husk like.

8. Add milk, sugar and rosewater to the extracted liquid. If using cardamom powder mix it in with the milk.

9. Mix well. Chill for a hour of two before serving.

1 cup toovar (arhar) dal
1 cup sugar
A few strands saffron
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
A pinch mace
2 tbsps ghee
FOR THE DOUGH
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsps Oil
FOR SERVING
Ghee

Method

1.To make the filling, wash and pressure cook the dal in 1 ½ cups of water. Drain any excess water and keep aside.

2.Heat the ghee in a pan, add the dal and sugar and cook till the mixture thickens, stirring continuously. Dissolve the saffron in a little water by rubbing.

3. Add the cardamom and nutmeg powder, mace powder, saffron liquid and mix well. Cool, divide into 12 equal portions and keep aside.

4.For the dough, combine the flour and oil and knead into a soft dough using water. Divide into 12 equal portions and keep aside.

5. Roll out one portion of the dough into a 3 inches diameter circle. Place a portion of the filling mixture and fold the edges of the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges together to seal the filling in.

6. Flatten the dough and roll again into a 4 inches diameter circle. Cook on a tava over a medium flame till it is golden brown in color on both sides.

7. Repeat for the remaining dough and filling. Smear with ghee and serve hot.

11/2 cups rice, washed and drained
2 sticks cinnamon
2 cloves
1 cup green double beans
2 tbsps ghee
Salt according to taste
To be grounded to paste:
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
4 green chilies
1 tsp. grated ginger
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

2. Add the beans, the paste and salt and 4 cups of warm water and mix well.

3.Transfer to an earthen pot. Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 200 degree C (400 degree F) for 30 minutes till the rice is done. Serve hot with kadhi or yogurt curry.

3/4 cup Bengal gram flour
3/4 cup fresh curds (yogurt)
2 teaspoons green chilly-ginger paste
1/4 tsp turmeric
A pinch asafoetida
Salt according to taste
For Tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. asafoetida
3 to 4 curry leaves
4 dry red chilies
2 tbsp. oil
For Garnishing:
2 tbsp. grated coconut
2 tbsp. chopped coriander or green dhania

Method

2.Transfer into a non-stick pan and heat on a low flame, stirring constantly so that lumps do not form.

3.Keep stirring till the batter becomes thick. Taste the batter to see if the gram flour is cooked. This will take about 10 minutes.

4.Grease the reverse side of three to four thalis or steel trays and spread the mixture as thinly as possible with your hands or a rubber spatula on the greased surface while the batter is still hot. The number of thalis you will need depend upon on how thinly you can spread the batter.

5.When you have finished spreading the batter on the last thali, go back to the first one you spread the batter on and roll up the congealed pancake carefully, like a Swiss roll. Repeat with the other thalis.

6.Cut 25 mm (1 inch) pieces out of each big roll to get bite-sized khandvis. Place these on a serving dish.

7.To prepare the tempering, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, sesame seeds, asafoetida. And then the curry leaves and red chilies and stir for 30 seconds. Pour over the khandvis and serve garnished with the coriander and coconut.

2 cups gramflour
1/4 tsp. soda bicarb
1/4 tsp. ajwain seeds
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tbsp. oil
Salt according to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method

1.Mix all ingredients, add water little by little to make very soft dough. Take a fistful of dough, place on a greased polythene sheet.

2.Make big balls out of the dough ,roll it into big disc shaped chapati and then cut it into round shape.

3.Heat oil in a wide heavy pan. Deep fry these round papdi on medium heat till crisp but not browned. Drain and cool to crisp further.

4.Serve cool with green chutney and tea.