Organic Thandai, Oats Malpua Rollups & Mawa Gujiya: Festive Season Gets Better with Traditional Holi Recipes With A Twist

Holi is incomplete without the scrumptious snacks and desserts.Make this festive season special with gujiyas, malpuas, thandai, pakode and dahi bhalle.Here's a look at all the traditional Holi recipes you would need to complete your day.

Ingredients:

For Pastry Dough:
Whole wheat flour – 80 gms
All purpose flour – 120 gms
Salt – 1 tea spoon
Water – half cup or desired to make dough
Ghee – 2 table spoon

For Mawa Stuffing:
Mawa or khoya – 200 gms
Almond - 30 gms
Cashew – 20 gms
Golden Raisin – 20 gms
Pistachio – 20 gms
Ghee – 1 spoon
Powdered sugar - 80 gms
Cardamom powder – 1 gm

Method:

For Dough:
- Combine both the flours and salt together now warm up ghee and add to the flour and crumble together
- Add water in parts and begin to knead. The amount of water needed will depend on the quality and texture of the flour
- Knead the dough till firm and tight. Cover the dough with a moist cloth and set aside for 30 minutes
- Making Sweet Stuffing – Grate the Khoya or mawa and keep aside in a bowl
- Now warm up the ghee and add chopped dry fruits to the pan and saute them till golden color
- Let it cool down and then add powdered sugar, cardamom powder to the nuts and move everything to the Mawa bowl. Mix all of them together
– Divide the dough into equal small balls, roll them. Roll each ball softly using a rolling pin
- Put the rolled up circles into Gujiya cutter and stuff with mawa filling. Gently press the gujiya cutter and remove the excess dough coming out of the cutter
– Heat up oil in a shallow kadai or Wok. Let it reach till medium heat and slide in the gujiya
- Fry until golden colour. Allow them to cool down and serve

Storage and Shelf Life: Store in airtight container and can be stored on room temperature for 5-6 days.

(The recipe is by Mohammed Eliyaz, Executive Sous Chef at The Leela Bhartiya City Bengaluru)

Number of portion - 4

Ingredients:

Gram flour - 250 Gms
Salt - 15 Gms
Turmeric powder – 10 Gms
Chilli powder – 5 Gms
Chat Masala – 10 Gms
Bhang paste – 3 teaspoon
Spinach – 700 Gms
Refine oil for frying – 1 Ltr

Method:
- Wash and shred spinach leaves and collect in a mixing bowl
- Add rest of the ingredients and mix well sprinkling water with hand
- Mix until spinach leaves are coated with gram flour
- Heat the oil in pan
- Shape and deep fry until golden colour and sprinkle the chat masala on top
- Serve hot with mint chutney

(The recipe is by Chef Prem K Pogakula- Executive Chef, The Imperial, New Delhi)

Ingredients:
Semolina - 40 Gms
Oat Flour - 80 Gms
Wheat Flour - 20 Gms
Milk - 120 ml
Oil - 100 ml
Desiccated Coconut - 40 Gms
Jaggery - 40 Gms
Almonds - 20 Gms
Cashew - 20 Gms
Oats - 20 Gms
Multigrain Seed mix - 10 Gms
Khoya - 20 Gms
Cardamom Powder - 2 Gms
Sugar - 500 Gms

Method:
- Heat pan on low flame. Dry roast the desiccated coconut for 2 minutes
- Add the jaggery to it and mix well
- Keep mixing the two ingredients; jaggery will take some time to melt
- Once you notice that the coconut and jaggery mixture is not sticking to the pan, add khoya to it
- Stir it continuously for 2 – 3 minutes, Add cardamom, multigrain seed mix and dry fruits
- Mix the dry fruits and turn off the flame
- Transfer it to a wide plate and let it cool

For Sugar Syrup
- In a pan mix water & sugar Together & boil till syrup reaches two string consistency

For Malpua
- Take Oat flour, semolina, and Wheat flour in a bowl. Mix well
- Slowly, add milk to the above mixture and keep mixing it. It should not have lumps in it
- Keep the mixture aside for half an hour
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan
- Pour a ladle or spoon full of batter on the pan, spreading it evenly. It should look like a small dosa
- Once the crepe turns pale golden, flip it to cook the other side
- Take 1-2 tbsp of the filling in your palm; place it lengthwise in the centre of the Malpua and cover it with the edges
- Press it gently with a spatula to give it a shape of a Frankie
- Serve warm or cold

(The recipe is by Chef David Edward Raj, Managing Partner - Culinary Development and Innovation, Elior India)

Ingredients:

For the bhallas:
200 gm lentils (urad dal)
600 ml water to soak
1/2 tsp (2 g) salt
1 tsp (5 g) cumin seeds
2 tsp (10 g) ginger, chopped
5 g green chillies, chopped
250 ml oil to fry

For the curd mixture:
400 ml thick curd, beaten
1 tsp (5 g) sugar
1/2 tsp (2 g) salt
3/4 tsp (4 g) cumin powder
1/2 tsp (2 g) black rock salt
1/2 tsp (2 g) white pepper powder

For the garnishing:
1 tsp (5 g) ginger fine chop
1 tsp (5 g) green chilli chop
5 g coriander leaves, chopped
a pinch of chilli powder
a pinch of cumin powder
4 sprigs mint leaves
40 ml tamarind chutney

Method:
- Clean the urad dal and soak in water for two hours. Drain and grind to a fine paste, adding a little water if required
- Remove from the mixer. Add salt, cumin seeds, ginger and green chillies. Mix well. Shape into even sized balls
- Heat oil in a kadai and add the prepared balls, a few at a time, using wet hands. Deep fry till golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels

For curd mixture:
- Soak the prepared balls in sufficient lukewarm water till they are soft
- Add sugar, salt, cumin powder, black rock salt and white pepper powder to the beaten curd. Mix well
- Remove the bhallas from water, squeeze out excess water and add to the curd mixture. Keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes
- Serve chilled, garnished with ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves, chilli powder, cumin powder, mint leaves and tamarind chutney

(The recipe is by Executive Chef, Gopal Jha, Grand Mercure Bangalore)

Ingredients:
Mango pulp 2 cups
Milk Powder 1 cup
Milkmaid 1 cup (400gms)
Chopped pistachios for garnishing
Chopped almonds for garnishing

Method:
- Heat ¼ cup water in a non-stick pan. Add milk powder and whisk well
- Add Milkmaid and keep whisking. Add mango pulp and keep whisking. Cook for 1 minute
- Remove from heat, cool the mixture, pour into kulfi moulds, cover and freeze for overnight
- Demould kulfi and cut into halves. Garnish with chopped pistachios, almonds and serve immediately

(The recipe is by Bharti Sanghi, Founder at LIFE -Artisanal food)

Ingredients:
Full Cream Milk 1 1/2 litres
Almonds blanched and peeled 20
Cashew 10 (Optional)
Pistachios blanched and peeled 15
Melon seeds (magaz) soaked 1 1/2 tablespoons
Poppy seeds (khuskhus/posto) soaked 1 1/2 tablespoons
Fenon seeds- 1 ½ tablespoons
Saffron (kesar) a few strands
Desi Khan(Sugar) 4-5 cups
Green cardamoms - 10-12
Cinnamon 1 inch stick
Black peppercorns 4-8
Rose petals- 20
Ice cubes
Slashed almonds for garnishing- 2-3

Method:
- Blunch the nuts and soak them in water for 30-45 minutes, as it will soften the nuts and add more taste in the drink
- Grind together nuts, melon seeds, cinnamon, saffrons, fenon seeds, rose petals and poppy seeds with a little milk to a fine paste, keep adding milk to give the fine texture to the paste
- When the milk begins to boil add sugar or desi khan and simmer till the sugar melts. Add the paste to the milk and mix well
- Refergotor it for 4 hours or overnight .Chill the milk and serve with Garnishing Almonds and rose petals on top

(The recipe is by Anoop Varma, Owner at Everything Organik)