We all are  familiar with hosting a Holi brunch. Hosting it can be very stressful. Making sure to include a variety of lavish dishes, mastering that delicious meal, setting the table and making arrangements to play Holi – the list goes on. The thing is, the Holi brunch does not have to be traumatic.

Holi is a festival that is all about fun, masti, relaxation and keeping the ease not only for the guests but for you too. So it’s time to encourage the simple menu, letting the big list of time and effort consuming dishes take a back seat. Keep it interesting, delicious, yet simple! Choose only one main course dish that can be prepared before your guests arrive and need to be re-heated only at the time of serving so that you spend less time in the kitchen and more time at the table with your guests while celebrating Holi festivities.

Get set for few casual but interesting brunch options that will allow you to enjoy this fun-frolic day:

Chole Kulche: Straight from the Punjabi kitchen – Feather soft kulchas served with chole (chickpeas) cooked in a pool of rustic spices taste amazingly delicious. This combination is a satisfying authentic meal that can be served as a yummy and satisfying brunch on Holi. Flavoured with strong warming roasted spices, this savoury dish adds to the zest of colourful celebration. You can cook chole early in the morning and re-heat them when your guests arrive. Kulchas can be toasted in butter on a non-stick pan in few minutes at the time of serving. It does not take much effort too. To make the menu more exciting, serve chilled rasmalai as a sweet dish in the end.

Pav Bhaji: Straight from the Maharashtrian kitchen – Pav bhaji is one of the most popular snack dish that can be served as a delicious and filling Holi brunch. It is a spectacular combination of different vegetables cooked and mashed together. This dish can be cooked with different variations according to your taste and requirements. Pav bhaji is loved by people of all ages. Bhaji cooked in a special blend of spices and served with soft buttered pav (bread buns shallow fried in butter) is one of the best brunches that can give a buzz to Holi festivities. Prepare bhaji in the morning before celebration starts and re-heat it at the time of serving. Shallow fry the pavs in butter on a non-stick pan at the time of serving. It would not take much time and effort. Serve with onion salad. Rajbhog will go well to be served as meetha after this brunch.

Idli, Vada, Sambar: Straight from the South Indian kitchen – Sambar, a hot and spicy lentil soup with mixed vegetables, served with vada and idli is a wonderful accompaniment for Holi celebration. It is a delicious brunch platter which people can have with ease while playing Holi. Serve it with coconut chutney. You can cook samdar, vadas and idlis early in the morning and prepare coconut chutney a day before and keep it in refrigerator. It is a very filling brunch which everyone would relish. So kick start your Holi festivities with steamed idlis, fried crispy vadas spruced up with coconut chutney and a bowl of piping hot sambar. Serve garma-garam gulab jamuns as sweet dish after this savoury brunch.

Aloo Ki Subji and Khasta Kachori: Straight from the Marwarhi kitchen – It is a good option for Holi brunch as nothing screams Holi glory like some crispy aromatic kachoris and garma-garam aloo ki subzi. From kids to adults, this dish is an all-time favourite. Nothing beats soaking up in Holi colours with the aroma of methi ki chutney served along with this yummy dish. You can fry khasta kachoris a day before. Methi ki chutney can also be prepared a day before and can be kept in refrigerator. Keep kachoris in an airtight container at room temperature. Aloo ki subzi can be cooked fresh in the morning and can be re-heated at the time of serving. This dish will never fail to impress your guests. For ‘kuch meetha ho jaye’ moment, serve suji or moong dal ka halwa. Both taste amazing with aloo ki subji and kachori.

Veg Biryani and Raita: Straight from the Hyderabadi kitchen – There are various versions related to this scrumptious dish. The perfect veg biryani contains perfectly spiced soya chunks, paneer cubes and vegetables with kesar and kewra scented rice that emanates aroma having the power to make anyone hungry instantly. Spicy, hearty and zesty, biryani served with vegetable or boondi raita is a melting pot of flavours and one of the best menus to elevate the zeal of Holi. You can prepare biryani early in the morning and re-heat it in microwave at the time of serving. Prepare raita also in advance and keep it refrigerated until served. This dish can be the star of the day which your guests will remember for a long-long time. Thandi-thandi ‘pista-badam malai kulfi’ will taste awesome after having this sizzling hot delectable meal.

Of course! These dishes will take time, patience and effort to be cooked in a perfectly delicious way. However, you can cook them all before Holi festivities start. They will taste as good as freshly made when served after re-heating. This way you can spend enough time with your guests and take an active part while playing with colours and drenching in water. What more do you need?

You can begin with some iced tea or lemonade and nibbles already set out on the table: roasted nuts, popcorns, sprout salad, salted paneer chunks and fresh fruits. It is always better to prepare iced tea and lemonade ahead of time and refrigerate them in pitchers. Just take them out at the time of serving and lay on the table for self-service. However you would not be able to use soda (aerated water) to make these refreshing drinks because soda drinks have to be consumed as soon as they are prepared, otherwise they become flat in taste. So use water as the base instead of soda. It will also be as tasty as aerated drinks. Sweet dishes can be bought from a  sweet shop  a day before and kept refrigerated until served. Serve them chilled or warm them up as the desserts require at the time of serving. This way, from start to finish, you will be enjoying the festival and having a great time with your family and friends.

There is nothing better than spending time with your loved ones on festivals like Holi. Sit back, relax and enjoy these moments keeping this humble menu.

Holi Mubarak!