Here are recipes to sweeten up Holi this season

What is any India festival without food? One of the biggest and brightest festivals in India, Holi guarantees its own set of lip smacking delicacies to gorge on. Not to be outdone, chefs, with each passing year, create something new and magical to add to the already growing repertoire of Holi delicacies to nibble on as you dabble with some colours.

We give you 11 recipes that have been generously shared by chefs from across India to make your Holi that much more special.

Mango and blueberry mousse with orange jelly by Freshmenu.com

Mango and blueberry mousse with orange jelly

Nature has a way of celebrating the ‘Festival of Colors’ in its own way with some sweet yellow mangoes, succulent blueberries, and vibrant oranges. With a palate like this, creating a dessert masterpiece isn't too difficult! Red velvet sponge is layered with a velvety blueberry mousse as well as mango mousse and topped off with a thick orange jelly-flower and pistachio slivers.

Ingredients

• Red velvet premix - 1000gm
• Oil - 400gm
• Water- 400gm
• Mango Mousse
• Whipped Cream - 100gm
• Mango filling - 20gm
• Blueberry Mousse
• Whipped Cream - 100gm
• Blueberry compote - 20gm
• Orange Jelly
• Water -1000gm
• Orange crush-300gm
• Agar agar - 40gm
• Garnish:-
• Pistachio - 40gm
• Blackcurrant - 30gm

Method

• Prepare a red velvet sponge using the  eggless premix, place it on the base.
• Soak it, pipe blueberry mousse over it followed by mango mousse.
• Prepare an orange jelly and set it. Cut the orange jelly into flower shape using the cutter. Garnish the mousse with pistachio slivers and black currant.                

Orange and lemon mousse with twin jelly by Freshmenu.com

Orange and Lemon Mousse with twin jelly (eggless)

National Mousse Day is quite a long time from now, but Holi isn’t! We bring in the festival of colours in style with a dessert that tastes as glorious as it looks – citrusy duo of mousse, orange and lemon, is piped onto a sweet, red-velvet sponge and topped off with cubes of orange and strawberry-jelly and pistachio slivers for that munch and crunch. Serves 1.

Ingredients

• Red velvet premix - 1000gm
• Oil- 400gm
• Water- 400ml
• Lemon Mousse
• Whipped cream -100gm
• Lemon tang  - 20gm
• Orange mousse
• Whipped cream -100gm
• Orange tang  - 20gm  
• Strawberry Jelly
• Water - 1000ml
• Strawberry crush - 300gm
• Agar agar - 40gm
• Orange Jelly
• Water - 1000ml
• Orange crush - 300gm
• Agar agar -40gm
• Garnish:-
• Pistachio - 40gm

Method

• Prepare a red velvet sponge using the  eggless premix, place it on the base.
• Soak it, pipe orange mousse on the base followed by lemon mousse.
• Prepare the orange and strawberry jelly and set it. Cut the orange jelly into cubes and arrange as shown and the strawberry jelly in a flower shape using the cutter.
• Garnish the mousse with pistachio slivers.

Rainbow pastry by Freshmenu.com

Rainbow Pastry (eggless)

If you’ve ever wondered what a rainbow tasted like, well, now you can finally know. Layers of vanilla pound-cake coloured in the shades of the rainbow are blanketed with sweet cream-cheese and topped off with red-velvet crumble. Tell us if you spot a unicorn, okay?

For base

• Vanilla premix  - 1000gm
• Oil - 400gm
• Water - 400ml
• Cream cheese - 100gm
• whipped cream -1000gm
• Purple
• blue
• green
• Yellow
• Orange
• Red velvet premix - 1000gm
• Oil - 200ml
• Water - 200ml

Method

• Prepare an eggless vanilla pound cake mix, and red velvet sponge premix separately.
• Add the colours into the vanilla batter in batches and bake them separately based on colour.
• Prepare a cheese cream mixture and layer between the layers and chill the cake.                 
• Finish the final layer with red velvet sponge crumbs.

Thandai and mango mousse by Freshmenu.com

Thandai and Mango mousse

Whats Holi without a cold shot of Thandai? We take the legendary North-Indian favourite and give it a sweet little twist. Thandai infused mousse is layered over butterscotch nibbles and sweet strawberry compote and topped off with mango glaze. Soft rose petals, succulent black currants and pistachio slivers adorn this decadent dessert keeping you coming back for more!    

Ingredients

• Vanilla pre mix  - 100gm
• Oil - 400gm
• Water - 400ml

For Thandai cream mix

• Thandai mix - 50gm
• Whipped cream - 500gm
• For mango cream mix
• Mango filling - 50gm
• Whipped cream - 500gm
• Strawberry compote - 40gm
• Butterscotch nibbles (crushed) - 30gm

For glaze 

• Mango filling - 30gm
• Cold glaze - 30gm
• For garnish
• Rose petals - 30gm
• Pistachio slivers  - 30gm
• Blackcurrant  - 30gm

Method

• Prepare an eggless vanilla pound cake mix , bake and cool it.
• Place it at the base of the mousse cup. Crush the butterscotch nibbles and sprinkle around the sponge.
• Prepare the thandai mousse and pipe over the butterscotch nibbles and spot strawberry compote randomly around the mousse cup.
• Pipe a layer of mango mousse around the jar.           
• Glaze the mousse with mango glaze and garnish with rose petals, black currants and pistachio slivers.

Thandai popsicles by Chef Ajay Anand, Pullman & Novotel New Delhi Aerocity

Thandai Popsicles

Ingredients

• Milk Full Cream – 200 ml
• Rose water – 10 ml
• Sugar – 60 gm
• Heavy Cream – 150 ml
• Cashewnut – 40 gm
• Melon Seeds – 20 gm
• Saffron strands – a pinch
• Cinnamon Powder – 1 gm
• Nutmeg Powder – 1 gm
• Rose petal spread (Gulkand) – 10 gm
• Saunf powder – 1 gm
• Cardamom Powder – 1 gm
• Poppy Seeds – 20 gm
• Almonds – 30 gm
• Pistachios - 30 gm
• Black Pepper – 3 gm

Method

• Boil half of the milk in a bowl and soak saffron strands in it.
• Allow it to sit for 15 - 20 minutes. Soaking saffron strands in hot milk releases its colour and flavour.
• Add all the nuts and spices to a grinder and grind spices to their powdered form.
• Boil rest of the milk and cream in a heavy bottomed pan.
• When it comes to a full boil, stir in the nuts and spices one by one and Whisk so that no lumps remain.
• Add sugar and keep stirring the liquid. Give it a good boil and take it off the flame. Allow it to cool completely. Then stir in saffron flavoured milk, Gulkand and rose water.
• Allow it to sit for a while (an hour or more) so that it can soak in all the flavours.
• Later sieve it through a strainer and pour the mixture in popsicle mould and dust with pistachio dust.

Blueberry Shrikhand by Chef Ajay Anand, Pullman & Novotel New Delhi Aerocity

Blueberry Shrikhand

Ingredients

• Yogurt - 120 Gms
• Blueberries Fresh – 10 Gms
• Fresh cream - 30 Nos
• Bondi crumble – 30 Gms
• Peanut chikki  - 30 Gms
• Mint spring 5 Gms
• Rasmalai - 20  Gms
• Blueberry compote – 20 Gms

Procedure

• Put yogurt and fresh cream in a mixing bowl and Mix well.
• Add blueberry compote and mix it with the yogurt and cream mixture.
• Put the blueberry yogurt mix in round moulding cup.
• Freeze the yogurt mix in deep for one day.
• Take it out serve it with fresh blueberry, Bondi crumble & small piece of Rasmalai.

Anjeer Dates Khaja by Chef Ajay Anand, Pullman & Novotel New Delhi Aerocity

Anjeer Dates Khaja

Ingredients

• Green apple - 100 Gms
• Dates - 15 Gms
• Fig - 15 Nos
• Caster sugar – 10 Gms
• Refined flour - 5 Gms
• Coconut powder  - 5 Gms
• Almond powder - 5 Gms
• Milk - 200 Ml
• Fresh cream     - 20 Gms
• Panna base - 2 Gms
• Sesame chikki – 5 Gms
• Edible greens  - 0.5 Gms

Method

• Take diced green apple, dates and fig in a sauce pan. Add caster sugar over the same and cook it two mins, Cook it till texture of compote.
• Take half of spring roll seat put the compote over it and roll it out.
• Fry the roll till golden brown colour.
• Put milk, fresh cream, panna base in ice-cream maker. Make Rabri ice-cream.
• Plate it with Rabri ice cream.

Pumpkin Dumpling by Chef Choong Chew Loon, Royal China, New Delhi

Pumpkin Dumpling

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/8 teaspoon (generous) baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

• Place a large pot of salted water to boil. Whisk pumpkin, egg, salt, nutmeg and baking powder in large bowl to blend.
• Mix in flour, make sure dough is soft
• Dip 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon into boiling water to moisten.
• Scoop up generous 1/2 teaspoon of dough and return spoon to water, allowing dough to drop.
• Working in 2 batches, repeat dropping 1/2 teaspoonfuls of dough into water, first dipping spoon into water to moisten each time.
• Boil dumpling until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer to colander and drain.
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add dumplings. Sauté until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer dumplings to bowl.
• Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Gujiya by Chef. Rakshit Sharma, Executive Chef at Hotel The Royal Plaza, New Delhi

Gujiya

Ingredients

• Flour 250 gram
• Sugar 100 gram
• Ghee 90 gram
• Semolina 70 gram
• Cashew 15 gram
• Almond 10 gram
• Raisin 9 gram
• Pistachio 9 gram
• Khoya 50 gram
• Cilongi 2 gram
• Oil to fry

Method

• At the first step we will make dough with the help of ghee, water and flour.
• Knead the dough till firm, cover the dough with a moist cloth and keep aside for 20 minutes.
• Now, for gujiya stuffing, grate khoya, chop dry fruits and keep aside.
• Melt ghee in a pan on a low flam and add crumbled khoya and stir. Cook the khoya till it begins to gather around itself.
• Switch off the flame and keep the pan down. Let the khoya get cool.
• After the khoya gets cool and add sugar and mix everything well and keep it aside.
• Take the dough and make small balls from it, roll the small balls flat (circle) with the help of a rolling pin.
• Place 1 tsp of khoya stuffing on one side of the circle, keeping edges empty.
• Carefully, bring together both the edges and press the edges carefully.
• Heat oil for deep frying in a pan.
• Deep fry these small gujiya till golden brown.
• Your sweet gujiyas are ready to serve.

Palak-Chaat by Chef. Rakshit Sharma, Executive Chef at Hotel The Royal Plaza, New Delhi

Palak Chaat

Ingredients

• Gram flour 150 gram
• Baby spinach 200 gram
• Rice powder 60 gram
• Semolina 50 gram
• Ajwain 15 gram
• Salt 10 gram
• Sweet Soda 9 gram
• Red chili 9 gram
• Turmeric 3 gram
• Yogurt 250 ml
• Boil chickpeas 10gram
• Mint chutney 3 spoons
• Saunth chutney 3 spoons
• Oil to fry

Method for pakoda

• First let’s make palak pkoras. Take spinach leaves, remove the hard stalks, and rinse them well carefully. Pat it dry with the help of a kitchen towel or paper napkin and leave aside.
• For the batter, take besan (gram flour), rice powder, sujee (semolina), salt, red chili, haldi, soda, ajwin, salt.
• Add some water and make a smooth batter and rest it for 10 minutes, the consistency should be medium thick.
• Now take a pan for deep frying on medium heat. Once the oil gets hot, take one leaf and dip into the batter, remember that the leaf should be coated properly from all sides.
• Fry the coated leaves until it changes the colour and become crispy.

Method for chaat

• Now, let’s make the chaat. Arrange the palak pakora on the plate and drizzle some green coriander chutney on top.
• Followed by whisk yogurt, saunth chutney and chickpeas.
• Sprinkle chaat-masala on top and serve hot before the palak- pakoras got soggy.

Thandai Phirni by Executive Chef Navin Kumar, Radisson Blu, Paschim Vihar.

Thandai Phirni

A festival is incomplete without special desserts and delicacies, and Holi makes it merrier as gorging on rich and savoury dishes is an add on to the carnival of colours. On the morning that is celebrated as Rangwali Holi, friends and family play and chase each other with dry powder, coloured water, water guns and water-filled balloons.

To make your celebrations extra sweet, here is a unique recipe that would brighten up your spirits.

This Thandai Phirni is a twist on the traditional Phirni recipe.

Ingredients

• 250 grams Milk, full cream
• 1/2 cup Rice, soaked in water for at least 3 hours
• 2 Cardamom (Pods /Seeds), crushed
• Saffron - 15-20 strands ( Soaked in 2 tbsp milk )
• Thandai masala powder - 3 tbsp
• 1 cup Sugar, adjustable
• 2 tablespoons Almonds and pista, thinly sliced

Method:

• To begin making the Creamy Phirni recipe, boil milk in a heavy bottomed pan.
• Once it starts boiling, add the green cardamom into the milk.
• In the mean time, take rice and grind them coarsely in a grinder by adding a little water.
• Add sugar in the boiling milk, thandai, kesar milk and then add rice into it. Stir it for at-least 20 minutes or till it gets thick.
• When it starts getting thick, switch off the stove and let it cool properly.
• Pour it in kullads (earthen pots) and put it in fridge for 2 to 3 hours. Now take it out, garnish it with sliced nuts and serve it chilled.
• Serve Creamy Thadai Phirni as a dessert after your scrumptious meal or make it during holi to celebrate the festival.