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Traditional delights to savour on Holi
Talk about Holi celebrations and all we can think of are the sweet and rich gujiyas, rasmalai, malpua and chaats like dahi vada, vada pav, pakode and chole bhature. Falling on March 23 this year, the north Indian festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm and cheer in various pockets of Chennai. Here we share a few typical recipes that are prepared specifically on the day of colours.
Chennai
GUJIYA
Ingredients:
Refined flour: 100 gmÂ
Ghee: 25mlÂ
Luke warm water: 30mlÂ
For The StuffingÂ
Ghee: 1 tbspÂ
Coconut, grated: 3 tbspÂ
Jaggery syrup: 3 tbspÂ
Cardamom powder: A pinchÂ
Cashew nut (Chopped): 1 tbsp
Method:Â
- Make a tight dough out of refined flour, ghee and water. Set aside for 30 minutes.Â
- Heat ghee in a pan add grated coconut, jaggery syrup, chopped cashew nut and cardamom powder. Cook till the mixture comes together. Mix well and allow to cool.Â
- When the mixture cools down, add chopped cashews, cardamom powder, raisins. Now the stuffing is ready. Â
- Knead the dough again and roll in to small lime sized balls. Cover the dough balls to prevent from drying. Take one dough ball at a time and roll out into 3 to 3.5 inch diameter round. Lift the rolled poori and place it over the gujiya mold. Fill it with 2 tsp of the stuffing and apply some water on the edges. Close from the edges, seal the mold and remove extra dough from the edges. Open the mold and place the prepared gujiya over a plate.Â
- Heat some ghee in a wok. When the ghee is hot, fry the gujiyas on low to medium flame until they get golden brown from both sides. Take them out.
KESAR RASMALAIÂ
Ingredients:
Cow milk: 3 litresÂ
Vinegar: 50mlÂ
Sugar: 600gmÂ
Condensed milk: 200mlÂ
Saffron: 1 gmÂ
Rose water: 30mlÂ
Cardamom: 6 nos
Method:
- Boil the milk in a medium flame. Add vinegar, now let the milk curdle. Now strain the contents of the pan through a muslin cloth.Â
- Hang the muslin cloth, and allow the whey to drain.Â
- Now make small dumplings of the soft cheese and gently flattened it by pressing them with your palm. It should be roughly the size of a coin.Â
- Take sugar and water in a heavy bottomed vessel and cook to form a thin syrup. Now gently add the flattened milk solids to this syrup.Â
- In a thick bottomed pan  heat milk and sugar until milk is reduced to two thirds the original volume, now add saffron strands, cardamom powder and rose water to it. Remove the solids from syrup and add to reduced milk and sugar mixture.Â
- Allow to steep in room temperature and let it chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours before serving.
Recipe: Sujan Mukherjee, Executive Chef, Taj CoromandelÂ
DAHI BATATA PURI
Ingredients:
Small puffed puris: 24 nosÂ
Boiled, peeled and chopped potatoes: 1 cupÂ
Spicy mint (pudina) chutney: ½ cupÂ
Sweet chutney: 1 cupÂ
Fresh and chilled beaten curd: 3 cupsÂ
Chilli powder: 2 tspÂ
Chaat masala: 2 tspÂ
Roasted cumin seed powder: 2 tspÂ
Black salt: 2 tspÂ
Se 8 tbspÂ
Finely chopped coriander – for garnishing: 4 tsp
Method:Â
- Crack a small hole in the centre of each puri and arrange 6 puris on a plate.Â
- Stuff each puri with ½ tbsp of potatoes and top with 1 tsp pudina chutney, ½ tbsp of sweet chutney and 2 tbsp of curd.Â
- Sprinkle ½ tsp of chilli powder, ½ tsp of cumin seeds powder, ½ tsp of black salt, ½ tsp of chaat masala and 2 tbsp of sev evenly over the puris and serve immediately garnished with 1 tsp of coriander.Â
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more plates.
VADA PAV
Ingredients (TO SERVE 4)Â
Pa 8 squaresÂ
Boiled and mashed potatoes: 1 ½ cupsÂ
Green chillies, chopped: 2 nosÂ
Grated garlic: 1 ½ tbspÂ
Mustard seeds: 1 tspÂ
Asafoetida (hing): ¼ tspÂ
Curry leaves: 6 to 8Â
Turmeric powder: 1 tspÂ
Veg Oil: 1 tbspÂ
Besan (Bengal gram flour): 3/4 cupÂ
Baking soda: a pinchÂ
Salt: to tasteÂ
Veg Oil: for fryingÂ
Garlic chutney: to slather on the pav before serving
Process:
FOR VADA FILLINGÂ
- Pound the green chillies, ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle.Â
- Heat oil, add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add asafoetida, curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds.Â
- Add the pounded mixture and sauté again for a few seconds. Add the potatoes, turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Remove from the fire and cool.Â
- Divide into 8 equal portions. Shape into rounds.
FOR THE OUTER COVERING
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and make a batter using approximately 1/3 cup of water and besan.
- Dip each round of the vada filling into the batter and allow it to coat the mixture well.
- Deep fry in hot oil, till golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.
SERVING
- Slice each pav into half and spread some dry garlic chutney inside.Â
- Place one vada in between 2 pavs and serve.
Recipe: Chef Ranveer Singh Rana of the eatery Indiska Magic, hosting the Chowpatty Chaat Festival
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