Holi Special: 5 Traditional Recipes with a Twist

March 06, 2020

Holi is not just a festival of colours but also a festival of flavours. Each year, come Holi, we are excited about celebrating with lots of fun, frolic and food!

A day full of playing colours, and enjoying sumptuous dishes with friends and family. And what better than to add a touch of quirk by recreating traditional Holi recipes like the quintessential Thandai and Gujias this Holi!

Holi recipes with a twist banner

Here are 5 Holi recipes with a twist for 2020:

 

1. THANDAI MOCKTAILS 3 WAYS

The official drink of the festival, the spicy nutty Thandai, great on it's own but can be made better with a few tweaks!

Thandai Mint Front View

Thandai Mojito (serves 2): 

  • 1.5 glass milk
  • a bunch of mint leaves
  • half cup soaked pistachios 
  • 2 crushed cardamoms (Elaichi)
  • Chopped pistachios and mint (for garnish)
  • 2-3 tsp of powdered sugar (or any other sweetener)

Blend all the ingredients together. The mint adds freshness to this drink and is a modern take on the traditional Thandai. Serve it chilled in a tall wine glass and add garnish on top.

Thandai Mint Top ViewEnjoy Nestasia's holi sale of upto 30% discount by clicking the image above

Berry Thandai (serves 2):

  • 1.5 glass milk
  • 1.5 cups of strawberries
  • half cup of soaked nuts (of your choice)
  • vanilla essence
  • a pinch of a spice of your choice (cinnamon or cardamom)
  • sweetener of your choice (sugar/honey)
  • Diced strawberries for garnish

Thandai Strawberry Front View

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Blend it all together for a nutty berry blast. Great for kids who cannot have the traditional spicy Thandai. Serve it to them in bottles so they can drink and share with friends while playing colours.

Thandai Strawberry Top View

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Kesar, Roast Almond & Honey Thandai (serves 2)

  • 1.5 glass milk
  • A large pinch of kesar soaked in warm water
  • 1 cup of soaked roast almonds
  • 2 crushed cardamoms (Elaichi)
  • 2 crushed peppercorns
  • 2-3 teaspoons of honey
  • Dried rose petals and chopped nuts (for garnish)

Thandai Kesar Front View

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This Kesari Thandai has a delicious nuttiness to it coming from the roast almond. The kesar and rose add vibrance and cooling texture to the drink. Great for serving in pretty glasses to your guests at the Holi party!

Thandai Kesar Top View

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2. MULTI-COLOURED VEGGIE NAMKEEN 3 WAYS

Moms start prepping for Holi in advance for the many guests, parties, all the thandai and snacks that go with it. There is something very exciting about the sound of sizzling chips and the smell of freshly made fried treats!

At Nestasia, we added a colourful twist to these treats for everyone to savour. 

Multicolour Veggie Namkeen Top View

shop for Nestasia's plates & platters by clicking on the image above

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3 tsp of yoghurt or oil for softness
  • 1 cup of spinach juice
  • 1 cup beetroot juice
  • 1/2 tsp of turmeric (haldi)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp of spices like ajwain, chilli flakes (optional)

Multicolour Veggie Namkeen

Divide the flour into 3 parts, add spinach juice to one, beetroot juice to the next and Haldi (spices optional) to the third. Knead in a dough and roll it out. 

Cut them in fun shapes, an activity that even kids can enjoy. It’s like having fun with colourful playdough! Fry or bake them and serve on a board with dips or hummus.

Multicolour Veggie Namkeen Front View

3. MEXICAN PAPRI CHAAT

Papri Chaat, a yummy fast food we just cant resist gorging onto as we enjoy the play of colours.

With this recipe let's enjoy the play of ingredients by creating a fusion of Papri chaat and the Mexican nachos.

Mexican Papri Chaat Top View

click on the image above to view the Chiceramic collection

Ingredients (quantity as per choice):

  • crispy Papris (flour crackers) 
  • bell peppers (green, yellow, red)
  • diced onion
  • cucumber
  • boiled kidney beans or black beans
  • tamarind chutney (Imli Chutney)
  • corriander chutney (Dhaniya Chutney)
  • whipped sweetened yogurt 
  • Mexican seasoning 
  • coriander leaves
  • Sev or Bhujia 

Mix all the chopped veggies with the kidney beans and add some Mexican seasoning and salt to taste. Arrange the crispy wafers and add a spoon of the mix on them.

Drizzle both the chutneys and top it up with whipped yogurt all across your arrangement. Garnish it with some coriander, Sev and a wee bit of the seasoning and you're good to go.

A colourful mouthwatering chaat is ready to add the perfect tangy touch to your celebrations

Mexican Papri Chaat Front View 
4. VITAMIN BHEL SALAD
For all you weight watchers who want to avoid all the fried treats, let’s toss up up some healthy vitamin rich salad for you. 
It is not just wholesome and nutrient rich but also a treat to your taste buds.

Vitamin Bhel Salad

Ingredients: (quantity as per choice)
  • corn kernels
  • chopped boiled carrot
  • chopped boiled beans
  • diced green capsicum
  • Dhokla
  • coriander leaves
  • pumpkin seeds
  • tamarind chutney (Imli Chutney)
  • mint chutney
  • salt to taste

Throw in all the veggies in a salad bowl and then crush some Dhokla into the mix. Drizzle the tamarind and mint chutney generously to give your salad a sweet and savoury touch. To add a bit of crunch and protein, sprinkle some pumpkin seeds. Add a pinch of salt and once you have mixed up all the ingredients, garnish the salad with coriander leaves. 

Vitamin Bhel Front View

For all the cheese lovers and children, you could also grate some cheese to elevate the taste of the salad. This way you get your fair share of yumminess and some extra protein.
This salad Bhel perfectly compliments the traditional aspect and adds a healthy perspective to the festivities.
Adding a healthy touch to Holi is not all that bad with this yummy salad mix. Right!?

Vitamin Salad Bhel

 

5. GUJIA + JALEBI CHEESECAKE

Holi is incomplete without lining our tummies with sweets like Jalebis and Gujias. Whip up this quick and easy, no bake, fusion cheesecake that reinvents the traditional sweet treats into a contemporary dessert. This recipe is sure to win you some ‘jalebi points’ across all ages.

Gujiya Jalebi Cheesecake Top View

Ingredients

  • 1 cup crushed biscuits
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1.5 cup fresh grated coconut
  • 3 tbsp of condensed milk
  • pinch of crushed cardamom
  • 1 cup diced pineapple
  • 5 Jalebis
  • 1 pack Philadelphia cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tsp powdered sugar
  • Lemon zest (to taste)
  • Chopped pistachios, kesar & Jalebis (for garnish)

Watch the video below to see how this fusion yumminess comes together.

Garnish the cheesecake with kesar, pistachios and Jalebi. 

Gujiya Jalebi Cheesecake Front View

The true essence of Holi lies in playing with colours and relishing delicacies. Let’s make this Holi about blending the two and creating these colourful delicacies.

Gujiya Jalebi Cheesecake SliceClick on the image above to shop Nestasia's Plates & Platters 

If you try any of these recipes, do share with us your images and comment below on which one was your favourite twist!

 

Featured Nestasia products:

  1. Merry 'Part Time' Quote Stem Glass Green with Thandai Mojito
  2. Cara Square Salad Plate- Midnight Green with glass in Thandai Mojito
  3. Merry Heart Single Serve Mini Plate with pistachios in Thandia Mojito
  4. Cara Drinking Glass- Gold with Kesar Roast Almond Honey Thandai
  5. Beads strawberry coaster with Berry Thandai
  6. Magnifique Mandala Glass Bottle - White with Berry Thandai
  7. Chiceramic Asymmetric ceramic stone quarter plate - white & gold with Kesar Roast Almond Honey Thandai & Multicoloured Veggie Namkeen
  8. Magnifique Wood Ceramic Cheese Plate with Multicoloured Veggie Namkeen
  9. Beads Floral Tablemat- Multi with Veggie Namkeen
  10. Chiceramic rectangle marble board - Black with Mexican Papri Chaat
  11. Chiceramic Marble Bowl - Black with Mexican pari Chaat
  12. Round Small Bamboo Box with Lid- Copper with Vitamin Bhel Salad
  13. Round Small Bamboo Box with Lid- Red with Vitamin Bhel Salad
  14. Geometric Pentagon Snack Plate - Prussian Blue with Gujia+Jalebi Cheesecake
  15. Geometric Pentagon Snack Bowl- Prussian Blue with Gujia+Jalebi Cheesecake

Enjoy upto 30% discount on select glasses, bamboo bowls and be Holi ready! View the collection here 

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