Holi recipes: Try these easy recipes to make thandai and gujiya at home

It’s Holi and the celebration will be considered incomplete without traditional snacks like Gujiya and Thandai on the menu. But if you don't want to order these dishes and are keen on making these at home, then try these simple yet authentic recipes by Khandani Rajdhani.

Mawa Gujiya:

For Gujiya Dough:

Maida – 1 Cup, Suji (rawa)– 1 Tbsp, Baking Soda – 1 Pinch, Ghee – 1/4th Cup.

Method:

Take the flour in a mixing bowl and sprinkle rawa and baking powder evenly over the flour. Add ghee into the mix. Now gently whisk it till everything is mixed, but the mixture should be coarse and note fine. Now, add hot water and knead a firm dough. Cover and rest the dough for 30 mins.

For Gujiya Filling:

Powder Sugar –1/3 Cup, Khoya – 1 Cup, Ghee – ½ Tbsp, Chopped Dry Fruits - 1/3rd Cup (Cashew, Almond, Pistachios, Raising), Elaichi Powder – 1/4th Tsp.

Method:

Grate the mawa and keep it aside. Dry roast the chopped nuts and let it cool down. Melt the ghee in a heavy bottom pan on low flame add the grated khoya. Cook the khoya till it begins to gather well. Keep aside and let it cool down. Add the chopped nuts, powdered sugar, and elaichi powder. Mix everything well and keep aside. This mixture can be stored in an airtight container for around four days.

For Gujiya Syrup:

Ingredients:

Sugar – 4 Cup, Water – 16 Tbsp, Elaichi Powder – 1.5 Tsp, Rose Water – 02 Tsp, Saffron – 8 to 10 Strands.

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together in a heavy bottom pan. Keep on a medium flame and bring the liquid to a boil. Keep skimming the liquid to remove the scum. After the syrup is skimmed twice to remove all the impurities, strain the syrup to make sure there are no impurities left and the syrup is clear. Keep cooking the syrup till it gains a single string consistency.

For Assembling and making Gujiya:

Divide the dough in two parts. Make a medium log of each part and slice it into equal parts of 30 Grams each. Roll each slice on your palm into small balls and keep back in the same bowl and cover them. Dust the rolling board with the same flour and roll each ball with a rolling pin to a small circle having 4-5 inch diameter. Do not add too much of flour, use very minimum or no flour if you can manage for rolling. With your fingertip apply water to the circumference edges of the rolled dough. Place a tablespoon full of gujiya filling in the centre of each of the discs; be careful not to overfill the gujiya and to keep the sides empty. Carefully bring together both the edges and gently press the edges. With a small gujiya cutter, trim off the extra edges. It is very important to make sure that the edges are well sealed. Prepare all the gujiyas in this way and arrange them on a plate and cover with a moist cloth and keep aside. Heat oil in a small kadhai on medium heat and deep fry the gujiyas till golden brown on both the sides. Remove the gujiyas from oil and dip them in the sugar syrup for around 30 seconds. Remove and drain on kitchen towel. Serve warm.

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.

Method:

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

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) – 02 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 four hours. Strain all the ingredients out from the water. Grind the ingredients in a wet grinder to smooth paste. Store it in an air tight container. You can store it for three days in the refrigerator.