Holi is every Indian’s favourite festival without a doubt, and the pride and joy of our country’s culture. It is the festival of colours, so the food has to be equally colourful! Holi is one of those holidays where you get to spend time with friends and family and what better way to do it other than the traditional Indian way of eating together in a thali! The more colourful your Holi thali, the better it gets. So we’re here to make sure that your Holi thali this year is a riot of colours by simply adding 5 unique ingredients to your meal. Read on to find out the 5 special colours which need to be on your platter this Holi:
1. The Green Goodness Of Spinach
Make sure your Holi thali is a colourful affair with a pop of bright colours. The colour ‘green’ symbolizes harmony and freshness and is pleasing to the eye. What better way to add all the green goodness to your thali than spinach? This green leafy wonder is not only super healthy, filled with rich nutrients, but also a natural pigment for your food. Add spinach to any dish and it will turn a beautiful green colour. Now since it’s Holi, the dish that you make with spinach has to be something that everyone loves right? Spinach Kachoris are your solution! Check out this recipe for healthy and tangy spinach kachoris which taste just like your regular dal kachoris, but with a nutritious twist.
Ingredients
• 2 cups Healthy Alternatives – Organic Wheat Maida
• 1/3 cup spinach (pureed)
• ¼ cup Healthy Alternatives – Pure Olive Oil
• 1 cup green peas
• 2-3 tbsp. coriander (finely chopped)
• ½ tsp. cumin seeds
• ½ pinch asafetida
• ½ tsp. ginger paste
• 2 green chilies (finely chopped)
• ¼ tsp. red chili powder
• ½ tsp. dry mango powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• ¼ tsp. garam masala
• 1 tsp. fennel powder
• 1 tsp. salt (to taste)
• Healthy Alternatives – Pure Olive Oil (for frying)
Instructions
1. Sieve maida in a bowl to knead the dough for making the kachoris. Remove the stalks from the spinach and rinse them thoroughly. Then take the leaves in a mixing jar and process to make a puree.
2. Peel the green peas and place them in a mixing jar to make a coarse paste of it. In a big mixing bowl, take the maida and add oil, salt and spinach puree to it. Mix everything really well. Add 2 tbsp. of water into it and knead a dough same as required for making chapatti. Don’t knead the dough too much just bind everything well.
3. Cover and keep the dough aside for 15-20 minutes to set. Then use it later for making the kachoris. Meanwhile prepare the stuffing. For this, heat a pan with 2 tbsp. of oil and splutter cumin seeds first. Keep the flame low to prevent the spices from browning. Further add asafetida, coriander powder, finely chopped green chilies and ginger paste. Saute the spices for a while.
4. Now add coarsely grounded green peas along with salt, fennel powder, dry mango powder, garam masala and red chili powder. Saute and mix everything together. Roast the stuffing for a while and keep stirring. Add chopped green coriander and mix it well with the stuffing. Saute the mixture until the moisture evaporates completely and the stuffing becomes completely dry.
5. Pinch some dough and shape it into a bowl to fill the stuffing. Top it up with 1 tsp. of stuffing. Bring the edges together and fold the kachori to pack the stuffing nicely into the dough. Flatten the dough between your palms and shape it into a kachori.
6. Slide the kachoris one-by-one into the hot oil. When the kachoris are cooked from beneath, flip the side. Fry the kachoris until they become greenish-brown in colour.
7. Serve them hot with a chutney of your choice.
2. The Ruby Red Of Beetroots
This Holi, colour your plate red with the ultimate superfood – beetroot! Beetroots are not only
super delicious to have on their own as part of salads, but also make for an excellent ingredient
in a variety of other cooked dishes. It gets its red colour from something known as betalains, a
red and yellow pigment found in plants. They are a high source of a host of nutrients, and this
Holi, you can enjoy their colour, taste, and nutrition in a delicious way with the beetroot
cutlets. Check out the recipe below:
Ingredients
• 1 large beetroot
• 2 medium potatoes
• 2 bread slices
• 1/2 tsp. salt (adjust per taste)
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder (adjust per taste)
• 1/4 tsp. jeera powder
• 1/4 tsp. amchur powder
• 1/4 tsp. garam masala
• 1 tbsp. mint leaves (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• All purpose Flour (for coating)
• Bread crumbs (for coating)
• Healthy Alternatives – Pure Olive Oil (for frying)
Instructions
1. First cook the potatoes, roughly mash them and keep aside. Also, cook the beetroot and grate it finely. Add the bread slices to a blender and grind into a dry powder.
2. Add the mashed potato, grated beetroot, salt, chili, jeera, amchur, garam masala, mint, coriander leaves to a large mixing bowl. Now, mix all the ingredients until well combined.
3. Now, add the ground bread powder little by little and mix until you get a thick dough. Add the all-purpose flour to a small bowl. Add sufficient water to make a flour paste and keep aside. Spread the bread crumbs in a plate for coating and keep aside.
4. Heat a pan with olive oil for shallow frying and set the flame to medium. While the oil is getting heated, take a small portion of the dough. Roll it into a round cutlet shape. Now dip the prepared dough into the flour paste and roll until fully coated.
5. Place it on top of the bread crumbs. Slightly press with your fingers to flatten out the patty. Turn the patty and make sure that the other side of the patty is also covered with bread crumbs.
6. Shallow fry the patties until both the sides of the cutlet turn golden brown by flipping. Once done remove from the oil and place in a paper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat the same with the other patties.
7. Serve them hot with a chutney or sauce, and some salad on the side.
3. The Sunshine Yellow Of Saffron
Add a dash of bright yellow to your Holi thali with some saffron threads. The yellowish-orange
hue is like a drop of sunshine! Saffron is the pride and glory of our country. The colour, and the
spice. This beautiful and aromatic spice is filled with rich dietary nutrients. Saffron rice is an
age-old favourite for Indians and a popular dish for Holi as well. Check out this easy and simple
saffron rice recipe:
Ingredients
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. Healthy Alternatives – Pure Olive Oil
• 2 pinches saffron threads
• 1 small green onions (minced)
• 2 cups white basmati rice
• 3 ¾ cups water
• Salt (to taste)
Instructions
1. Take one pinch of saffron threads and put them in a spice mortar. Grind the spice with a pestle to a powdery consistency. Add a second pinch of saffron threads to the mortar. Do not crush these threads.
2. Pour 1/4 cup of hot water into the mortar. Let the saffron soak for 5 minutes. This will open up the flavor of the spice. Meanwhile, sort your basmati rice and rinse in a colander. Drain.
3. In a large heavy pot, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium. Add the minced onion to the pot and saute for about 10 minutes, till the onion begins to caramelize.
4. Add rice to the pot and saute for one minute longer, mixing the rice together with the cooked onion. Pour the yellow saffron liquid evenly across the top of the rice, making sure to scrape any saffron that clings to the mortar into the pot.
5. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Let the rice cook for 20 minutes, or until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
4. The Earthy Brown Of Ragi
Brown is the colour of the earth and symbolizes wholesomeness and stability. Ragi or Finger
Millet is a plant grown as a cereal crop that gives you just that! It comes with a high amount of
dietary fibre and is definitely a super grain. Traditionally, malpuas are made with wheat or
maida and then fried, but we’ve given this Holi-favourite a healthy and colourful twist with the
Ragi Malpuas. Made with ragi flour and pan-fried in ghee, you can’t miss out on this healthy
dessert for your Holi dinner. Check out the recipe below –
Ingredients
(For Malpua)
• 1/2 cup Healthy Alternatives – Organic Ragi Flour
• 1/2 cup Healthy Alternatives – Organic Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds (pounded)
• 1 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Ghee (for pan frying)
(For Sugar Syrup)
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• Few saffron strands
Instructions
1. Combine all the ingredients for the malpua batter – ragi flour, whole wheat flour, fennel seeds, cardamom powder, baking powder, salt and fresh cream in a large mixing bowl. Add water or milk to make a thick malpua (pancake) batter. Keep covered for about 10 minutes.
2. The next step is the make the sugar syrup for the malpua. In a saucepan, add the sugar, water and saffron on medium heat. Keep stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar dissolves, turn the heat to low and simmer the sugar syrup until you get a one string consistency.
3. The next step is to make the malpuas. Preheat a skillet on medium heat; grease it with ghee. Pour a ladle full of batter on the preheated skillet. Drizzle a teaspoon of ghee around the edges of the malpua and allow it to cook.
4. When you notice that that the raw batter on the top is getting cooked, flip the malpua over to cook on the other side. Once done remove from the pan and proceed to make the remaining malpuas.
5. When cooked, dip the cooked ragi malpuas in the sugar syrup for a couple of seconds and take them out.
6. Place the sugar-coated ragi malpuas on a dessert platter, spoon some rabri on the top (optional), sprinkle some chopped nuts and serve as a delicious dessert.
5. The Playful Pink Of Guava
Pink symbolizes ‘playfulness’ which is the mood of the hour isn’t it? Holi brings out the inner
child in you and there’s no better way to beat the heat than with a glass of chilled guava
thandai. Who would have thought that guava would make its way to a thandai recipe? Guava
fruit contains an organic pigment called carotenoid, the same pigment that gives carrots and
tomatoes an orange and red colour. It not only tastes absolutely wonderful, but also has plenty
of health benefits. Mix the juice of this sweet fruit with your thandai mixture and you will be in
for a colourful and unique treat. Check out the recipe below:
Ingredients
• 1 ½ cup milk
• 4 tbsp. thandai mixture
• ½ glass pink guava juice
Instructions
1. Pour the thandai mixture in a large jug/glass.
2. Add the milk and guava juice to the glass.
3. Put some ice cubes and stir well till everything is combined.
4. Serve it chilled.
All set for the most colourful Holi dinner ever? Don’t forget to get your ingredients from the Nature’s Basket store.
Find out more about how different colours in our food can help our health. Check out our 6 Colour Meal Plan.
