Here are 5 must-try recipes to add flavour to your Holi party

The festive of colours has arrived. But like any other Indian festival, it is not just colourful but flavourful as well. Below are some exciting recipes by Maharaj Bhawar Singh, corporate chef at Khandani Rajdhani to help you add a special touch to your Holi celebrations and enjoy the festive flavours!

5 sweet and savoury recipes for your Holi party

Mawa Gujiya

Ingredients

Maida: 1 cup + 1 tbsp

Ghee: 2 and ½ tbsp

Salt: A pinch

Mawa: ¾ cup (Grated)

Kopra: ½ cup (Grated)

Powdered sugar: 5 tbsp

Cashew nuts: 2 tbsp (Chopped)

Chopped almonds: 2 tbsp

Apple grated: 1

Cinnamon powder: ¼ tsp

Cardamom powder: ⅛ tsp

Oil to deep fry

Method

Combine 1 cup maida, salt and ghee in a bowl and mix well with your hands.

Add enough cold water to knead a soft dough.

Rest the dough for half hour for the stuffing.

Heat a pan and add grated mawa to it.

Stir it continuously without burning. Cook until golden brown .

Switch off the flame. Let it cool and set again.

Add kopra, powdered sugar, dry fruits, grated apple, cardamom powder and cinnamon powder to mawa and mix well.

Make small balls out of dough and roll into small pooris.

Now, place the stuffing on one half of the rolled dough.

Stick the sides and make a half moon by sticking the edges.

Make all gujiyas and fry them in hot oil at medium low heat till golden in colour.

Remove onto an absorbent paper and let them cool.

In a pan make sugar syrup . once it in one string consistency  remove from flame and allow it to cool.

Once the syrup is cooled, put the gujiya in the syrup and soak for few minutes. Remove from the  syrup and strain it. Place the gujiya on a plate and garnish the same with chopped almonds, pistachios.

Gulab Kesari Thandai

Ingredients

Thandai masala paste: 1 tbsp

Boiled chilled full fat milk: 200 ml

Sugar powder: 2 tbsp

Gulkand: 1 tbsp

Mixed chopped nuts: 1 tbsp

Rose syrup: 4 tbsp

Dry rose petals: 1 tsp

Saffron: As required

For thandai masala paste 

Ingredients

Peeled almonds: ½ cup

Cashew nut: ½ cup

Black pepper corn: 25 to 30 corns

Elaichi: 25 to 30 pcs

Poppy seeds (khus khus): 2 tbsp

Fennel seeds: 2 tbsp

Melon seeds (charmagaj): 2 tbsp

Saffron: 25 to 30 strands

Dry rose petals: 2 tbsp

Method

Soak all the ingredients in water for a minimum of 4 hours.

Strain all the ingredients out from the water.

Grind the ingredients in a wet grinder to smooth paste.

Store in an air tight container.

Can be stored for 3 days in the refrigerator.

Method/Final steps for Gulab kesari thandai 

Take chilled milk and add the thandai masala paste, sugar, rose syrup, and gulkand and stir well to mix all the ingredients evenly.

Garnish with the chopped nuts and the dry rose petals.

Served chilled.

Jamnagri ghughra

Ingredients

For outer crust

All-purpose flour/maida: 1 cup

Oil: 2 tbsp

Salt as per taste 

For stuffing

Dry peas soak overnight: Half cup

Boiled potatoes: 3

Oil: 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds: Some

Ginger green chilli paste: 1 tsp 

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp 

Lemon juice: 1 tsp 

Chaat masala: 1 tsp

Roasted cumin powder: 1 tsp 

Salt to taste 

Method

For outer crust, in a bowl take all purpose flour, add 2 tbsp oil and salt into it and mix well. Knead it dough by adding water. Leave them aside for 20 minutes.

For stuffing, first drain and wash soaked peas and boil it.

When peas are done , Mash them with a spoon or hand , add boiled potatoes and Mash both ingredients well.

Now heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds when they start to crackle add ginger green chilli paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add red chilli powder, chat masala , roasted cumin powder and salt to taste.

Now add boiled peas and potatoes mix.

Add lemon juice and mix all ingredients well. Stuffing is ready.

Now for making ghughra shape, take dough and divide it into equal portions of balls. Now roll these balls.

Put stuffing at the centre and fold it and close edges.

Fry these ghughra in hot oil at medium flame. Dip half the ghugra in garlic chutney and sev and serve hot.

Leelwa Kachori 

Ingredients:

Tuver: 500 gm

Ginger chili paste: 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Cumin seeds: A pinch

Asafoetida: A pinch

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Garam masala: 1 tsp

Lemon juice: 1 tsp

Coriander leaves (chopped): ½ tbsp

Oil: 1 tbsp

For the dough

All purpose flour (maida): 300 gm

Salt to taste

Ghee: 1 tbsp

Water according to requirement

Oil: 4-5 drops

Oil for frying

Method

For dough

In a bowl, sieve flour and add salt, ghee in it. Mix and add water to make dough. Dough should be not more soft and hard. Add oil and knead very well. Keep it side.

For stuffing

Crush the tuver. Then heat oil in a pan at slow flame. Add cumin seeds in it. When it is spluttering, add asafoetida and turmeric powder. Then mix tuver, ginger chili paste and salt. Cover lid and cook till it becomes soft. Remove lid and mix garam masala and lemon juice. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add coriander leaves in it.

For Kachori

Make medium balls of the dough and roll out like small poori. Fill stuffing in poori. Cover it like potli and seal all edges properly. Heat oil in a pan at medium flame. Deep fry kachori till golden brown. Serve with green chutney and sweet chutney.

5) Thandai

Ingredients

Full-fat milk, boiled and cooled: 4.5 cups

Powdered sugar: 1/4 cup

Saffron (kesar) strands: A few

Rose water: Few drops

To be soaked

Almonds: ¼ cup

Cashew: ¼ cup

Pistachio: ¼ cup

Poppy seeds (khus-khus): 2 tbsp

Fennel seeds (saunf): 2 tbsp

Watermelon seeds: 2 tbsp

Cardamom (elaichi): 1 tsp

Whole peppercorns: 20

Rose petals dry: 3-4

Method

Soak the above ingredients for 20 minutes and then grind it into coarse paste.

Put milk in a deep bowl, add sugar, mix well using a whisk and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Add the paste and mix well and refrigerate.

Slightly roast the saffron strands and in a small bowl add little warm milk and add the saffron.

Chill the thandai and add few drops of rose water before serving.