Holi 2024: Explore 3 Classic Treats for a Colourful Celebration

One of the most eagerly awaited Indian festivals – Holi – is approaching soon. The festival of colour is celebrated with friends, family and community, immersed in gulal (coloured powders), music, dance and of course, delicious and delightful food! A variety of traditional sweet and savoury food items are prepared, shared and enjoyed while playing with colours to make the celebration special and memorable.

Keeping the festive flavour in mind, Chef Kunal Kapur suggests three appealing and mouth-watering recipes enjoyed in Holi – Mawa Gujiya, Puran Poli and Boondi Ladoo. Try out these recommended sweets and snacks prepared in blended oils packed with a good balance of MUFA and PUFA, antioxidants and vitamins with the right ingredients. 

Mawa Gujiya

Crispy fried dumplings with a melt-in-your-mouth filling; a classic preparation enjoyed across Northern India

Ingredients

• For Gujiya Dough
• 500 gms/ 3 cups + 2 tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
• 120ml/ ½ cup of Desi Ghee 
• A pinch of Salt
• Saffola Gold Oil for frying

For Gujiya Stuffing 

• 1 cup of grated Khoya 
• 3 tablespoons of desiccated Coconut 
• 4 tablespoons of fine Sugar 
• ½ teaspoon of Cardamom powder
• ¼ teaspoon of Nutmeg Powder (Jaiphal)
• ¼ teaspoon of Mace Powder (Javitri)
• 1 tablespoon of chopped Almonds 
• 1 tablespoon of chopped Pistachios

Preparation time: 40 mins

Serves: 20

Steps to follow

• Add grated khoya to a pan and cook on low heat till it turns light brown
• Turn off the heat, remove khoya from the pan and set it aside to cool
• Mix maida, ghee and a pinch of salt together in a bowl
• Add water and knead it softly into a dough. Allow the dough to rest for 15 mins
• In a big bowl and mix the cooled khoya along with desiccated coconut, fine sugar, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, mace powder. Add chopped almonds and pistachios to the mixture to prepare the filling
• Now take the rested dough and flatten it out with a rolling pin to about 3mm
• Cut small circles in the flattened dough using a round cutter
• Place a spoonful of stuffing in the centre of each disc-shaped flattened dough
• Brush the edges of the stuffing-filled dough with a little water. Make the half-moon shape of gujiya by lifting one side and placing it on the opposite side. Gently tap the edges to seal them
• Create creases around the half-moon-shaped gujiya by pressing a fork around its edges. This will also help seal the stuffing inside
• Continue the above process with the remaining disc-shaped flattened dough and stuffing to create the remaining gujiyas 
• To fry the gujiyas, take a deep-bottomed pan and pour Saffola Gold oil to heat it. Once it is medium hot, add the gujiyas and deep fry them on slow flame till they are golden brown 
• Remove the gujiyas and cool it completely before serving

Puran Poli

A traditional and mouth-watering sweet flatbread preparation widely enjoyed across Maharashtra  

Ingredients

For Puran (stuffing)

• ¾ cup or 170gms of Chickpea lentils (Chana dal)
• 2¼ cups of Water
• ¼ teaspoon of Turmeric 
• 2 teaspoons of Ghee (clarified butter) or 1.5 teaspoons of Saffola Gold oil
• ¾th cup or 125 gms of crushed Jaggery 
• ½ teaspoon of Cardamom powder
• ½ teaspoon of Nutmeg powder 

For Poli (dough)

• 1 cup of Whole Wheat flour or (Atta) 
• ½ cup of All-purpose flour or (Maida)
• ¼ teaspoon of Turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon of Salt
• 2 tablespoons of Saffola Gold oil
• Water – as required for kneading
• Ghee – for cooking
• All-purpose flour – for dusting

Preparation time: 60 mins

Serves: 6

Steps to follow

• To prepare the stuffing, soak Chickpea lentils or chana dal for about an hour
• Drain the excess water and add the moist chickpea lentils to a pressure cooker along with 2¼ cups of water, turmeric and ghee
• Cook it till the lentils turn soft. Ensure that the lentils are not overcooked
• Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and strain the cooked lentils. Use the leftover water after scooping the lentils to knead the dough 
• Once cooled, grind the cooked lentils along with jaggery to a paste in a mixer grinder, without adding any water
• Take a pan and cook the mixture, until it achieves a dough-like consistency. Then remove it from the heat and add cardamom and nutmeg powder, mix them well
• Allow this to cool completely, then divide the stuffing into 6 equal balls for use
• To make the dough, mix Whole Wheat flour (atta), All-purpose flour (maida), turmeric, salt and Saffola Gold oil along with sufficient water. Knead it and keep it aside for at least 25 mins. Smear a bit of oil on the surface of the dough to lock in the moisture and avoid drying
• Allow it to rest for 10 mins and then make 6 medium-sized dough balls. Keep them aside
• Take one of the dough balls and dust it with maida, press it flat into a circle using your hand and place one of the stuffing balls into it. Fold the edges of the dough to close it into a ball
• Press the stuffed dough ball and roll it out thin using a rolling pin, so that the stuffing spreads evenly inside the dough
• Cook the flatbread on a hot pan by turning both sides, one by one. Add ghee or Saffola Gold oil and fry both sides. Once cooked remove it from the heat and keep it warm in a kitchen cloth
• Follow the above-mentioned process for the remaining dough and stuffing. Serve them warm

Boondi Ladoo

A timeless and delicious Indian sweet that adds colour and taste to the celebration of Holi

Ingredients

• 500 gms of Besan or Gram flour
• A pinch of Turmeric
• A pinch of Yellow food colour powder
• A pinch of Orange food colour powder
• 600 ml of Water 
• Saffola Gold Oil for frying
• 4 nos. of Back cardamom 
• Handful of Melon seeds 
• 1 teaspoon of Cardamom powder

For syrup

• 900 gms of Sugar
• 400 ml of Water
• A pinch of Yellow food colour powder
• A pinch of Orange food colour powder

Preparation time: 40 mins

Serves: Makes 2 Kgs 

Steps to follow

• Take the besan in a deep- bottom bowl, add yellow food colour or turmeric powder, orange food colour and water to form a consistent and non-lumpy batter
• Take a deep-bottom kadhai and prepare the syrup by adding sugar and water and bring it to a boil
• In the meanwhile to make boondi, heat Saffola Gold oil and using a strainer, pour the besan batter through it to make small, round balls. Drain the excess oil from the deep-fried boondi pearls by placing them over kitchen paper towels
• Heat the sugar syrup and add cardamom powder, yellow food colour, and orange food colour to it. Place a drop of syrup on your thumb and use your index finger to check the consistency of the syrup. It should appear like a thin string or have a one-string consistency
• Add the boondi pearls into the sugar syrup, sprinkle some crushed black cardamom seeds on it and give it a quick boil on slow flame
• Cook the boondi pearls for 1-2 mins till they turn softer and add melon seeds. Turn off the heat, cover the boondi mix and allow it to rest for 4-5 mins  
• Spread the boondi pearls on a tray. Dip your hand in a bowl of water and scoop a handful of boondi pearls to shape them like a ladoo while they are still warm 

So, choose your favourite from Mawa Gujiya, Puran Polior Boondi Ladoo for a flavourful and lip-smacking celebration. And go ahead and share these mouth-watering delights with your loved ones and spread the festive cheer.

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