Holi, is not just a festival of colours. It is equally popular for its staple Holi delicacies- such as Gujjiya, Thandai and Kheer. In a country as diverse as ours, there are numerous regional special dishes that go along with the festival.

But, Holi is not just an Indian festival anymore. It is celebrated with as much fervor across the globe, and these inter-cultural compositions also make the festival cuisine extremely variegated.

Here are some of the recipes for  Holi dishes with a few innovative additions.

Paneer Gulal

Ingredients

Paneer: 150 gm

Boiled onion paste: 75 gm

Cashew nut past: 25 gm

Ghee:  30 ml

Ginger garlic paste: 10 gm

Beetroot paste (boiled): 5 gm

Green cardamom pwd: 3 gm

Mace pwd:  1 gm

Corrionder pwd: 5 gm

Salt: To taste

Cream: 30 ml

Rose water:  drop

Method:

Heat ghee in a pan, add onion paste and cook till moisture evaporates .Add ginger garlic paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add coriander pwd and sauté. Now add cashew nut paste diluted in water. Cook on sim for 10-12 minutes. Add beetroot puree followed by paneer, green cardamom and mace powder. Finish with cream. Serve hot with Indian bread

Matter Ki Kheer

Ingredients

Desi ghee: 75 gm

Finely chopped pistachio: 10 gm

Chopped cashew nuts:  15 gm

Chopped almonds:  15 gm

Chopped raisins: 20 gm

Milk:  750 ml

Green peas coarse puree:  120 gm

Sugar: 80 gm

Cardamom powder: 5 gm

Khoya danedar: 75 gm

Method:

Heat ghee in a pan; add finely chopped pistachios, cashew nuts, almonds, raisins and sauté. Add milk to the pan and reduce by half.  Now heat desi ghee in a different pan, when warm, add the green peas puree. And cook for 5-6 min. Add pea puree to the milk mixture. Add sugar and cook on a slow flame for 5-6 minutes. Now add cardamom powder. Serve hot/cold kheer in a bowl and garnish it with the chopped and dry fruits.

Nihari Gosht

Portions                                                                       04

Ingredients

Lamb with bones: 01 kg

Ghee:  175 gm

Sliced onion: 250gm

Green cardamom: 05

Cloves: 05

Cinnamon stick: 01

Bay leaf: 02

Coriander powder: 05 gm

Red chilli powder: 10gm

Turmeric: 03 gm

Lamb stock: 01 ltr

Salt: to taste

Ginger paste: 50 gm

yoghurt: 150gm

refined flour: 10gm

Gram flour:  10gm

Garam Masala: 05 gm

Mace & elaichi powder:  03gm

Vetiver (Kewra):  2-3 drops

Green coriander:  50gm

Method:

Heat 150 gm of ghee in a handi, add the sliced onion. Saute over medium heat until golden brown, add mutton, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. Stir until the liquid has evaporated. Add coriander powder, red chillies, turmeric and salt, stir it. Add ginger and garlic paste and stir it until fat leaves the masala. Then add yoghurt and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and cook it for another 10 mins. Add mutton stock (approx…1 ltr). Bring to boil again. Cover it and lower the flames .Stir occasionally until mutton is tender .Remove the mutton from the gravy and keep aside. Heat the remaining ghee in a separate handi and add refined flour and gram flour and cook until light brown. Add gravy and mix well. Boil it for some time and strain it through the soup strainer and add the cooked meat in gravy. Add garam masala, mace, elaichi powder and vetiver. Adjust seasoning, cover it with lid and simmer it for 15 mins on slow fire. Garnish with coriander and serve with kulcha.

(Recipe courtesy: The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa, New Delhi)

 

Gulkand Shahi Gujjiya

 

 

Number of Pieces- 25

Ingredients

Ghee:  800 ml

Maida: 500gm

Oil:  120ml

For the filling

Khoya:  600gm

Green  Cardamom Powder: 8gm

Almonds: 25gm

Raisins: 25gm

Dried Coconut:  25gm

Sugar: 350gm

Gulkand (Rose petal):  25gm

Chandi Verk:  01Leaf

Pista: 05 gm

Preparation:

Sieve the flour. Mix maida with oil. Using fingers, mix well so that the mixture takes the form of bread crumbs and binds to a certain extent. Now add some water and knead lightly. Keep adding water as required and knead into soft but tight dough. Set aside and cover. Now mash the Khoya and fry it in a kadai till it turns light brown in color. Add sugar and cardamom powder into the khoya and mix well. Add almonds, cashew, coconut and raisins. Fry for 2 minutes. Allow it to cool. Divide the dough into small balls and roll each ball into a small round of 4 inch diameter. Fill half the round with the khoya mixture and with rose petal sweetened (gulkand).Fold it and seal the round, twisting the edges inwards. Take care that the filling doesn’t ooze out. Heat ghee in a pan and deep fry the gujiyas in batches on a medium flame. When golden brown in color, drain and remove. Arrange on a plate and cover with Chandi Verk and Pista.

 

 

Kali Gajar Ki Kanji

 

Gajar ki kanji or fermented carrot drink is a low calorie drink made with the main ingredient as black carrot. It is a nutritious drink that helps indigestion.

Cooking time: 5 min

Passive Time: 2-5 days.

Ingredients

Black carrot: 500gm

Mustard Seed  Grounded: 60gm

Red chilli powder: 50gm

Rock salt: 80gm

Asafetida: 30gm

Water:  2lit

Preparation:

Boil water in a big container. Wash and peel the carrot. Cut into batons and add Red chilli powder, rock salt and mustard seed powder to it. Put the carrot in the water and allow the mixture to cool down. Take another container and make a smoke of asafetida and ghee by using charcoal. Put the mixture in the container to absolve the flavor of Asafetida dhuwaar. Put the mixture in an earthen pot and close from the top. Keep the jar in the sunlight (In case, ample sunlight is not there then keep it at a warm place and allow it to ferment).Judge the Kanji from its taste. If the taste turns sour, it is ready for consumption.

  Tip: It takes up to 5 days for fermentation and stays good at room temperature.

( Recipe courtesy: Chef Ajay Mathur, Executive Chef Jaypee Palace Agra)

 

Who said Nachos are just Mexican. The Kitchen of Cornitos brings the Cornitos Savoury Veggie Nachos, to spice up your Holi.

 

 

Ingredients

Cornitos Tikka Masala flavour Nachos Crisps: 1bag

Grated processed Cheese: 50gm

Onion:  1 finely chopped

Tomato: 1 diced

Cornitos Sliced Jalapeno Peppers: 10 pcs

Yellow Capsicum: 1 sliced

Cornitos Refried Beans: 1 packet

Black and Green Olives: 1 cup

Cornitos Chunky Salsa Hot: 1 jar

Method

Arrange a layer of Cornitos Tikka Masala flavour Nachos Crisps in a microwave dish. Top it with sliced capsicum, finely chopped green onion, refried beans, cornitos sliced jalapeno peppers in layers over nachos. Add another layer of Cornitos Tikka Masala flavour Nachos Crisps. Top it again with finely chopped onion, diced tomatoes and sliced black and green olives and some cornitos chunky salsa hot. Add grated processed cheese on top. Heat in microwave until cheese melts. Decorate it with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Cheena Dahi Vada

 

 

Ingredients

Milk: 1 Ltr

Lemon Juice: 100 ml

Corn Flour:  10 gms

Water: 1 ltr

Sugar: 500 gms

Sweet  Yoghurt: 200 gms

Mint Chutney: 50 gms

Amchur Chutney: 50 gms

Raasted Cumin Powder: 2 gms

Black Salt: 2 gms

Bhujia Sev: 5 gms

Chopped Coriander: 2 gms

Pomogrenate Seeds:  10 gms

Method;

Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan. Once it comes to a boil, switch off the flame. Add lemon juice till the milk curdles completely. Using a strainer drain the water and collect the Cheena. Rinse it under tap water so that there’s no trace of lemon juice in it. Leave it in the strainer for 10-15 minutes and then take the Cheena in your hand and squeeze out remaining water slowly. Add corn flour and start mashing the Cheena till it’s smooth. Once it’s smooth, make small balls out of it. Heat sugar and water in a wide pan and wait till it comes to a full boil. Drop the balls in boiling sugar syrup and cook for 15-17 minutes. The balls will double in size by then.Take out the balls from the syrup and drop them in fresh water. If they sink to the bottom, the balls are done. Put 2-3 Cheena in a serving bowl/plate and pour sweetened blended curd on it. Add mint chutney, Amchur chutney, roasted cumin powder and black salt on top.
Garnish with coriander leaves and sev bhujiya.

 

Gujia

 

 

Ingredients

Refined Flour: 250 gms

Ghee: 50 ml

Refined Oil: 1 ltr

Khoya: 100 gms

Almonds: 50 gms

Cashew nuts: 50 gms

Walnuts: 50 gms

Sugar: 250 gms

Water: 500 ml

Raisins: 50 gms

Water: 50 ml

Method

For the dough, sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the ghee with your fingertips till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add one-fourth cup and one tablespoon of cold water and knead into stiff dough. Cover with piece of damp muslin and set aside for fifteen minutes. For the filling, heat a non-stick pan; add the Khoya and sauté for three minutes or till the fat separates. Set aside to cool. Add the cashew nuts, raisins, almonds and walnuts, and mix well. Divide into equal portions. Divide the dough into equal portions and shape into balls. Roll out each ball into a puri. Place one portion of the stuffing on one half of the puri, lightly moisten the edges, fold the other half over the stuffing and press the edges to seal. Pinch the edges to make a design. Heat sufficient oil in a non-stick kadai; gently slide in a few Gujiya at a time, and deep-fry for five to six minutes or till golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Make sugar syrup by cooking water and sugar together, till one thread consistency
Dip the Gujiya in it, lift and let dry on a plate.