Holi special: Kolkata food bloggers Anindya, Madhushree and Chef Rahul Arora share colourful festive recipes 

Avid travellers, food bloggers Madhushree Basu and Anindya S. Basu love trying out new recipes and cuisines. In their blog, Pikturenama, which has more than four thousand followers, they share their culinary experiences. The couple shares two very unique dishes for Holi with Indulge readers – Aloo Tokri Chaat and Beetroot Powder Cake Pops.

Aloo Tokri Chaat

Anindya tells that this dish requires some time and effort to create but is a great crowd pleaser. It is something which pleases kids and grown-ups equally. Once can prepare in advance and assemble a few minutes before serving. “This is a brilliant recipe for holi, since it has so many colours from onions, tomatoes, capsicum and the chutneys. One can simply pop one basket in their mouth and continue playing with the colours on holi,” adds Madhushree.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: One hour

Serves: 12 cups

Ingredients:

Four large potatoes 

2 ½ tsp corn flour

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Oil for deep frying and greasing of a pan

Ingredients for the chaat:

One cup boiled chickpeas

Two tbsp chopped onion

Two tbsp chopped capsicum

Two tbsp chopped tomatoes

Two tbsp chopped coriander leaves

One green chilli chopped

Three tbsp sweet tamarind chutney

Three tbsp of mint and coriander chutney

Three tbsp beaten yogurt (optional)

½ tsp of roasted jeera powder or Bengali bhajamoshla

½ tsp of red chili powder

½ tsp of aamchur powder

Sea salt

Sev for garnish

Making of the aloo tokris:

Peel the potatoes and keep them immersed in cold water while you grate them. Squeeze out the water entirely. Add salt and pepper and corn flour and mix them well.

 Grease the muffin tray thoroughly and then divide the potato mixture equally in it. Press the potatoes inside the cavities, making the shape of a bowl. Bake it in a pre-heated oven at 180 degree C for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Take the tray out and let it cool a bit. Carefully remove the edges and take each bowl out.

In a bowl, mix the chickpeas with the masalas, onions, capsicum, tomatoes, coriander leaves and green chillies. Fill up each potato basket with the chick pea mix. Drizzle mint chutney, sweet tamarind chutney and yogurt over the chaatbaskets. Sprinkle some sea salt and sev for garnish.

Tips: You can prepare the baskets in advance and keep the chaat mix ready for assembling whenever you want.

Beetroot Powder Cake Pops

“I came up with the idea of colourful cake pops using beetroot powder, to give it a festive look. It doesn’t add much to the flavour of the cake pop other than a hint of beetroot aftertaste. You can use any cake for making this cake pop,” advises Madhushree.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

One plain vanilla or chocolate cake, half cup butter, 100 gm dark chocolate, half cup beetroot powder.

Method:

In a mixing bowl, crumble the cake with your fingers or two forks. In a microwaveable bowl, take the dark chocolate chopped into small pieces. Add two tbsp of butter to it. Then on a medium power, microwave for 30 to 40 seconds, stopping every 20 seconds to stir it. 

Once the chocolate has melted, add it to the cake crumbs. Using a fork, mix thoroughly and then knead it with hands into nice smooth dough. Shape them into small balls and keep aside.

In a bowl, take the beetroot powder and coat the balls with it. Serve immediately.

Chef-cum restaurateur Rahul Arora is a young 'foodpreneur', who runs three popular eateries, Bon Appetit, Cafe Pranah and Paranthe Wali Galli in the heart of the city. Besides cooking up a storm in the kitchen, Rahul loves photography, dance, yoga. He shares a savoury and a sweet dish with Indulge for Holi.“They are easy to make and add more colour and warmth to Holi.”, says Chef Rahul Arora.

Rajma Galouti Kebab

Ingredients:

Rajma (Kidney Beans) - One cup

 One large Onion, chopped

 Tomato Puree - 1/4 cup

 One green chilli chopped

 Grated ginger - 1/2 tsp

 Salt

 Pepper

 Garam Masala - 1tsp

 Sattu - 2 tbsp

 Brown bread crumbs - 2 tbsp

 Olive oil - 1 tsp + 1 tsp

 Coriander Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:  Heat olive oil and crackle the coriander seeds. Sauté onion, ginger and green chillies till they turn golden.  Add the puree and cook until it gets thick.  Add Garam Masala to it.  Boil and mash the rajma and add to the masala. Bind the mixture with sattu and brown bread crumbs. Shape into kebabs and grill on a non stick pan. Serve hot with some chutney.

Gulab Ki Thandi Kheer

Ingredients:

 Milk - 500 ml

 Paneer - 50gm

 Khoya - 50gm

 Corn flour - 1 tsp

 Sugar - 3⁄4 cup

 Gulkand - one heaped tbsp

 Rose water - 1 tsp

 Rose petals for garnish

Method:

 Heat milk till it reduces a little and begins to get dense. Blend the paneer in the mixer and add to the milk. Grate the khoya and powder the sugar, add to the milk and cook on slow flame. Thicken with corn flour that has been diluted with cold milk. Cook it for seven to 10 minutes. Add the gulkand and rose water later. Serve chilled, garnished with rose petals.

@sharmidas

sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com