Holi Special Menu | Gujhiya | Namak Pare | Dahi Bade | Maalpuaa | Thandai

Holi Special Menu 

(Gujhiya | Namak Pare | Dahi Bade | Maalpua | Thandai)

Happy Holi..!!! 

The festival of colours is around the corner and everybody is filled with joy and excitement.

Also many are waiting for the delicious snacks and dishes which are made specially during Holi celebrations.

So, I thought let's make a special menu for Holi containing all the snacks and beverages to enjoy this Holi season.

Holi Special Menu

1. Gujhiya

Ingredients:

Refined Flour (Maida)                 250 gms

Khoya/Mawa                                 250 gms

Chiraunji                                         1 Tbsp

Cardamom Powder                     ½ tsp

Fennel (Saunf) Powder                ½ tsp

Clarified Butter (Ghee)                100 gms

Powdered Sugar                            100 gms

Almonds                                           10-12

Cashew                                            10-12

Grated Coconut                             100 gms

Salt                                                     a pinch

Refined Oil                                        for frying

Procedure:

[For Making Dough]

1. Add maida, salt and ghee in a bowl and mix well.

2. Knead a tight dough using warm water.

[For Filling]

3. Add khoya/mawa into a heated pan, stir-fry it until it turns golden brown.

4. Now turn-off the gas and let it cool.

5. Roast chiraunji, almond, cashew and coconut in light ghee.

6. Add them to khoya along with sugar, cardamom powder and saunf powder. Mix well.

[For making Gujhiyas]

7. Make small lemon sized balls of dough, flatten it to make puri.

Gujhiya Maker

8. Put it into gujhiya maker and put 1 Tbsp filling into it, apply some water near the teeths of gujhiya maker to make it stick properly. Remove excess dough and mix with the dough.

9. Heat oil and fry gujhiyas on medium heat until golden brown.

10. Serve in an airtight container when completely cooled off.

P.S. – Cover the dough with a damp cloth while making gujhiyas to protect the dough from drying.

2. Namak Pare

Ingredients:

Refined Flour/ Maida              250 gms

Ghee                                           100 gms

Ajwain                                         1 tsp

Baking Soda                              1 pinch

Salt                                              1 tsp

Refined Oil                                 for deep frying

Procedure:

1. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and make a tight dough using warm water.

2. Cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for 20 minutes.

3. Knead the dough again and make 6 small balls.

4. Flatten it out using a rolling pin (belan) and cut in desired shape.

5. Fry on slow heat until golden brown.

3. Dahi Vade

Ingredients:

Urad Daal                               300 gms

Moong Daal                           300 gms

Curd / Dahi                            1 Kg

Sugar                                      2 tsp

Salt                                           1 tsp

Crushed Black Pepper         1 tsp

Refined Oil                              For frying

Water                                       1 Ltr 

For Garnishing:

• Roasted Jeera Powder
• Red Chilli Powder
• Khatti Mithi/ Imli Chutney
• Green Chutney
• Black Salt

Procedure:

1. Soak urad daal and moong daal overnight.

2. Grind it fine in the grinder without water.

3. Whisk the batter with hands for 10 minutes or until its light and fluffy.

4. Add crushed black pepper to the batter.

5. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry vade of desired shape and sizes using either hands or a spatula.

6. Take water in a big bowl and add salt to it.

7. Soak vadas in this water after frying. When it becomes soft take out press gently to rinse excess water and keep aside.

8. Take curd in a bowl , add sugar, salt and whisk well to make it smooth and even.

9. Put vadas in a bowl and pour the curd over it. Keep aside for sometime.

10. Garnish with roasted jeera powder, red chilli powder, black salt, imli and green chutney.

4. Banana Pua/Malpuaa

Ingredients:

Maida                                  250 gms

Banana                               2 pcs

Milk                                       1 cup

Sugar                                   200 gms

Saunf/Fennel seeds         1 tsp

Cardamom Powder         1/2 tsp

Grated Coconut                1 Tbsp

Raisins                                 1 Tbsp

Procedure:

1. Mix banana and milk into the mixer or you can mash the banana with hand into milk.

2. Add maida and make a medium consistency batter(neither too runny nor too thick).

3. Let it rise for 8-10 hrs.

4. Add saunf, cardamom powder, raising and grated coconut to the batter and mix well.

5. Heat oil and fry desired size fritters(puas) until golden brown.

6. Make sugar syrup on the other side and add puaas to syrup after frying. Let it soak for a while.

7. Take out puaas from the syrup and serve with rabri/milkmaid on top and sprinkle with grated almonds and pistachios.

P.S. - If you wish to make dry puaas(i.e. without sugar syrup) just add sugar to the mix before keeping it overnight and follow rest of the process same as above till step 5.

5. Thandai

Ingredients:

Almonds                                                        1/3 cup

Cashew nuts                                                2 tbsp

Poppy seeds (khus khus)                          1 tbsp

Melon seeds (magaz)                                2 tbsp

Black pepper                                                3/4 tsp

Fennel seeds (saunf)                                  1/2 tsp

Green cardamom pods (seeds only)     5 pods

Freshly grated Nutmeg                               1/4 tsp

Jaggery (adjust to taste)                           12 tbsp

Milk                                                                   1.5 ltr

Water                                                               3/4 cup

Edible rose water or rose essence            1/2 tsp

Saffron (kesar)                                              a few strands

Pistachios (crushed)                                    1 fistful

Procedure:

1. Rinse the poppy seeds in water.

2. Separately soak almonds, melon seeds, and poppy seeds in water for 2 hours. Then peel the almonds. Drain melon seeds and poppy seeds.

3. Boil the milk and stir in the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn off the heat and allow it to cool.

4. Grind the peeled almonds, poppy seeds, melon seeds, cashew nuts, fennel seeds, pepper corns, green cardamom seeds, and nutmeg powder to a paste. Add 1/4 cup of water and grind further to a smooth paste.

5. Add the ground paste to the milk-sugar mixture and mix well. Cover it with a lid and let it sit for 15 minutes.

6. Now strain the mixture. Keep the strained milk aside. To the residue (almond spice mixture), add 1/2 cup water and grind again. Then strain this mix and add the strained liquid to the milk. Add saffron strands and rose water and mix again. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

7. Pour in glasses. Top with crushed pistachios, slivered almonds, and a few saffron strands. Serve chilled.