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Traditional Holi Dishes
Bhang, a natural intoxicant which is made from the cannabis plant, is used to make Bhang laddoo and consumed during Holi celebrations.
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Gujiya is another traditional North Indian sweet made with khoya, coconut, maida and dry fruits. People savour this crisp sweet which comes in two varieties — baked and fried.
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Chandrakala is a sweet dish which is so similar to Gujiya, that both of them share many of the same ingredients. Its crisp and sweet, like the gujiya, but can have a variety of stuffing and its taste tweaked to taste. But its shape is distinctive and also gives the sweet its name — the shape of a full moon.
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Dahi Bhalla is a popular snack which is an ideal mix of sweet, sour, salty and tangy. Its ingredients may vary according to different tastes and regions but dahi or curd is a must — making it a cooling snack to have when you come out of the sun after playing with colours.
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Malpua is basically a traditional pancake made with maida, khoya, dipped in a sweet syrup and garnished with chopped dry fruits for those who prefer a nutty aftertaste. The batter with a runny consistency is either deep or shallow fried and then tossed into the syrup, which can have enticing flavours like kesar, rose, etc.
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Traditional Holi Drinks
Bhang Thandai is a traditional milk-based drink which cools you off. As its name suggests, the main ingredient of the drink is bhang, made from the cannabis plant, before being added to the thandai.
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Kanji Vada is not just a beverage, but a cultural and traditional Rajasthani drink made especially for Holi festivities. It is a spicy drink made with spices such as asafoetida, red chilli, black salt etc, and served along with vada made from moong dal. The tanginess from the spices makes it extremely healthy and the vadas are tasty and chewy accompaniments when added to the spiced water.
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Thandai is a traditional mixture of milk, almonds, poppy seeds, saffron, cardamom and sugar. More dry fruits can be added according to one's choice and taste to this Indian drink which is usually considered to be a traditional 'cold drink'. There are also different varieties when it comes to the flavours of thandai.
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Jal-jeera is an energy replenishing drink as playing Holi can leave you pretty exhausted. Other than the ready available options in the market, the traditional drink is handmade by adding pudina, imli, cumin powder, chat masala and cold water. The strong flavours from the spices gives it its refreshing quality. Boondi can also be added for those who prefer crunchiness in their drink.
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Consumed mostly in Northen India and Punjabi households to be specific, Badam Kesar Milk is a sutle milk drink made using almonds, milk, saffron, cardamom and at times pistachios. Despite having dry fruits and saffron as its ingredients, its still considered a light drink as it helps to cool the stomach after having heavy and rich dishes during Holi.
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