Each colour in our national flag deserves a special celebration. The top band of saffron colour indicates strength and courage of the country. White stands for peace and purity. Green is the colour that symbolises our bond with the fertile soil of Mother India.

Celebrate this Independence Day by preparing Tri-colour dishes bringing together a fusion of global cuisine with Indian flavours and hues. These dishes are always a crowd-pleaser on an Independence Day celebration.

Here are some inspo recipes to show your love for the nation without turning yourself into a walking flag:

Tri-colour pasta: Take 500 grams of Tri-colour pasta and boil it. Drain the water and wash it with cold water. Coat it with olive oil and keep aside. In a pan, heat two table spoons of olive oil. Add one tea spoon of garlic paste. Saute till cooked. Add two medium sized diced onions. Saute for a minute. Add one each of diced carrot, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper and green capsicum. Add few diced mushrooms. Saute for few seconds. Add one cup of tomato puree, two table spoons of pizza-pasta sauce, one table spoon of tomato ketchup, salt and red chilli flakes. Cook it for two to three minutes stirring frequently. Add boiled Tri-colour pasta and mix well. Prepare white sauce in a separate pan in advance – heat one table spoon of butter. Add one table spoon of maida in it. Saute till maida changes its colour to golden. Add two cups of milk. Keep stirring till the consistency becomes thick. Add this white sauce in pasta. Give a good stir. Cook for another two-three minutes and turn off the flame. Add three cubes of grated cheese, oregano and black pepper powder to it. Mix well and serve hot.

Tri-colour pulao: Boil rice in separate containers adding orange food colour to container one, green food colour to container two and no colour to container three. Drain the water and keep them separately. Take a pan. Heat one table spoon of pure ghee. Crackle few bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Add peas, chopped French beans and broccoli to it. Add salt and red pepper powder. Cook the vegetables till tender. Add green coloured boiled rice and mix well. Saute for three to four minutes on low flame. In a separate pan, again heat one table spoon of pure ghee. Crackle few cloves and whole black peppercorns. Add few cashew nuts and cauliflower florets. Cook them adding salt till tender. Add white boiled rice and few cottage cheese cubes. Saute for five minutes and turn off the flame. In a third pan, heat one table spoon of pure ghee. Crackle cumin seeds. Add diced carrots. Saute till tender adding salt and red pepper powder. Add orange coloured rice and saute for few minutes. Now layer the rice in a deep glass tray. Spread the green layer at the bottom. Top it with coriander chutney. Spread white rice layer in between. Top it with thick fresh yogurt. Spread orange layer on the top. Garnish with chilli flakes and coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Tri-colour sandwich: Take three bread slices of white sandwich bread. Remove the edges. Spread green coriander chutney on the bottom slice. Top it with fine slices of cucumber. Sprinkle little chat masala. Place the second slice buttered on both sides. Spread a layer of crumbled cottage cheese on it. Sprinkle little chat masala. Place a layer of thin slices of tomato on top of cottage cheese. Spread tomato ketchup on the third bread slice and cover the second slice with it having ketchup inside. Cut diagonally and serve with tea or coffee.

Tri-colour salad: Blanch diced carrots, cauliflower, peas, broccoli and beans separately one by one. Boil potatoes and dice them. Dice cottage cheese in small cubes. Add salt, black pepper powder and little lemon juice in each vegetable separately. Take a microwave proof glass dish. Spread all green vegetables at the bottom. Top it with grated mozzarella cheese. Spread a layer of diced boiled potatoes and cottage cheese cubes on it. Again, top it with a layer of grated mozzarella cheese. Spread diced and blanched carrots on the top. Sprinkle oregano and red chilli flakes and microwave for three minutes. Serve hot.

Tri-colour dhokla: Make suji or besan dhokla with your own recipe. Slice it in three equal parts. On the bottom layer, spread coriander chutney. Cover it with second layer. Top it with a thin layer of grated dry coconut or grated cottage cheese. On the top layer spread tomato ketchup inside. Garnish the top with fried green chillies and serve chilled.

You must be seeking the thrill of deriving maximum pleasure for your taste buds this Independence Day. This special food menu does just that by leaving you satiated yet longing for more.

There is no better day than Independence Day to try out these dishes and feel nationalism and freedom with taste!