Holi 2019: 7 traditional dishes to cook at home

The festival of colours brings a bountiful of reasons to celebrate with joy and gaiety. People love to get drenched in coloured water and playful songs like Rang Barse and Balam Pichkari can be heard at every nook and corner. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil and also welcomes the arrival of spring season.

But, what’s a celebration without food? More than a religious importance, the day is known for its cultural significance and several traditional delicacies are prepared at home. So why not cook something delicious for your loved ones this time around? From Gujiya to Malpua, here are seven scrumptious dishes to prepare on the festival.

Gujiya

Commonly found in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Gujiya is a sweet deep-fried dumpling made with suji or maida. For the filling, a mixture of sweetened khoya and dried fruits are dipped in a sugary syrup. The crisp outer layer fills your mouth with the juicy filling inside.

Ras Malai

Popular in West Bengal, the sweet dish is soft and melts in the mouth. The word ‘ras malai’ originates from two Bengali words, ‘ros’ meaning juice and ‘malai’ meaning cream. Using paneer or chhena, rasmalai balls are prepared, which are left to fry in boiling sugar syrup. Later, the balls are immersed in thickened milk garnished with kesar and dry fruits.

Malpua

A sweet pancake to tantalise your taste buds, malpua finds its roots in Rajasthan and Orissa. The batter is prepared with a mix of maida, rava, khoya, baking powder, fennel seeds, cardamom powder and milk. Soaked in sugar syrup, the flour pancakes are then dipped in creamy rabdi.

Bhaang Ki Pakodi

An intoxicating drink specially prepared on the festival of Holi, bhaang is added to several dishes. Crunchy onion and potato pakodas are also in that list. The pakodas are dipped in a batter of chickpea flour with a dash of bhaang.

Puran Poli

A sweet flatbread, Puran Poli is a popular dish prepared in Maharashtra. Stuffed with a sugary lentil filling made of Bengal gram (chana dal) and jaggery, it is distributed among devotees in temples too.

Bhaang Laddoos

A classic dish in Holi, Bhaang Laddoos are prepared by rolling a mixture of bhaang into balls along with sweetened milk. Add sugar, peppercorns, powdered cardamom and saffron and mix well.

Matar Kheer

Known as rice pudding, Matar Kheer is a unique sweet dish made from green peas. Mashed peas are mixed with milk and sugar. Add raisins, cashews and almonds to garnish.

This Holi, indulge in these snacks. Desserts and eat to your heart’s content with your loved ones.