Holi specialties for you

By: Olivia Sarkar

Holi's vibrant colors-pink hands, green cheeks, scarlet on the forehead, and yellow on the nose-would be meaningless without food. To offer you a taste of Holi and a burst of flavors, we've included some recipes for delectable foods here.

GUJIYA

Ingredients

• For Dough:

• 125 gms Maida (All Purpose Flour)

• 1/4 cup Water

• 4 tbsp (20 ml)Oil

For Filling:

• 1/2 tin milkmaid

• 1/2 cup Semolina (Suji)

• 1/4 tsp Elaichi (Cardamom) Powder

• 2 tbsp Kishmish (Raisins)

• 2 tbsp Kaju (Cashewnuts)

• 2 tbsp Chopped Badam (Almonds)

• 150 gms Fresh Grated Coconut

Method

• To make the filling, roast semolina (suji) on low flame till it changes color. Mix in milkmaid, elaichi powder, raisins, cashew nuts, almonds, and grated coconut.

• Cook on medium/low flame, stirring occasionally, till the mixture is dry. Divide into 16 portions.

• To prepare the dough, pour oil into the maida. Add water and make it into a stiff dough. Knead the dough till pliable. Keep aside covered for 10-15 minutes. Knead dough once again. Divide into 16 balls.

• Roll each ball into a flat round. Place one portion of the filling, fold it over, and shape it into gujiya sealing the edges with little water. Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.

• To seal use gujiya molds or press with the ends of a fork or simply twist with your hand.

BHAANG KI PAKORI

Ingredients:

For the batter:

• 1 cup Chickpea flour

• 2 tsp Salt

• 1/2 tsp Turmeric

• 1/2 tsp Chilli powder

• 1 tsp Mango powder water

• 1 tsp Cannabis leaves-ground to a paste

For the pakoras:

• Various pieces of vegetables for the batter, optional

• 125 gram Onions-sliced into thin rounds

• 125-gram Potatoes into thin rounds

• deep-frying Oil

Method:

• With the ingredients for the batter, make a batter of dropping consistency.

• Adjust the water as required.

• Mix the onions and potatoes into the batter and sneak in the ground cannabis leaves paste.

• Heat the oil in a kadhai till some batter dropped into the oil comes up at once.

• Now scoop the pieces of the vegetable out of the batter and drop them into the hot oil.

• Fry over medium heat, to very light brown.

• Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set aside.

• Continue till all the onions and potatoes are used up.

• When ready to serve, heat oil again and fry the pakoras over high heat till golden brown.

• Remove from oil, drain on absorbent paper, and serve with green chutney.

APPLE KHEER

Ingredients:

• 2 Apples

• 1/2 cup basmati rice, boiled

• 50 gms nuscovado sugar (you can also use normal sugar)

• 60 gms cashew nuts and almonds

• 1 Cassia bark or cinnamon stick

• to taste red grapes

Method:

• Chop 2 apples into cubes and put them in saffron-infused milk.

• Cook to slightly soften the apples.

• Add 4 tsp brown sugar, 1 cassia bark /cinnamon stick, and some cashew nuts and almonds.

• Bring it to a slow boil.

• After some time add half a cup of boiled rice and 2 green cardamoms.

• Turn down the heat and let the kheer simmer.

• Garnish it with slices of red grapes and serve.

ALMOND MALAI KULFI

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds (blanched and ground)

• 1 1/2 cups condensed milk

• 6 tbsp Cream

• 15-20 Toasted pistachio, chopped coarsely

• 1/4 cup Milk

• A pinch of Saffron

Method:

• In a bowl, blend ground-blanched almonds, condensed milk, and cream.

• Infuse milk with saffron and add the mix to it.

• Toast some pistachio and chop them coarsely. Add pistachio into it and blend them well together.

• Set them in a matki and cover them with butter paper.

• Refrigerate and serve cold.

PANEER MALPUA

Ingredients:

• 100 Gram Paneer, grated

• 100 Gram Khoya (solidified milk, crumbled)

• 50 Gram Arrowroot

• 120 Ml Milk

• 1/4 tsp Elaichi, powdered

• For pan-frying Ghee

• 1 Cup Sugar

• 120 Ml Water

• 1/8 tsp Kesar (saffron)

• For garnishing Almonds (shredded), blanched

Method:

• Place the paneer, khoya, arrowroot, and elaichi in a bowl, and beat till smooth.

• Mix in enough milk to form a thick smooth batter of dropping consistency.

• In a broad pan, dissolve the sugar over low heat in the water, stirring all the time and not letting it come to a boil.

• Once it is dissolved increase the heat, add the Kesar, and let the syrup cook till-- a drop on the thumb, pressed with a finger, and pulled apart forms a 'thread'.

• Heat the ghee, drop equivalent to a tablespoon of the batter into it, lower the heat to medium, and cook till light brown on both sides. Lift out the fat and drop it into the syrup. (KB/IANS)