From ragi malpua to gujiya infused with thandai, kalakand: Follow these recipes to innovate with traditional Holi dishes

Enjoying glasses full of thandai during Holi is definitely a favourite but feasting on a plate full of gujiyas, kachoris, malpua and laddoos is not far behind. Photo Courtesy: ITC Grand Central

Holi, popularly known as the festival of colours around India is going to be celebrated in a bigger and better way than ever before, especially after three years of the Covid-19 pandemic. While people will get back to streets to play with colours and pichkaris and drink their fair share of thandai, it is impossible to imagine any Indian festival with loads of food that people can gorge on throughout the day.

While thandai is definitely a favourite, feasting on a plate full of gujiyas, kachoris, malpua, laddoos and more is not far behind. However, if you are bored of making the same dishes every year and have been looking for variations while still keeping the essence of the festival, then look no further. There is a lot that you can do with these dishes by making some minor additions that will definitely infuse a new kind of flavour to your food this festival and when guests visit your home.

Mid-day Online asked Mumbai chefs to share their innovative takes on classic Holi dishes and their suggestions will make you enjoy every last crumb. They not only suggest to take the opportunity to celebrate millets this year with a ragi malpua but also take it a step further by adding flavours of thandai and kalakand to the classic gujiya, and last but not the least, making kachoris out of potatoes.

Ragi Malpua by Vedant Thengodkar, chef, ITC Grand Central, Parel
Everybody loves gorging on a variety of dishes during Holi and while there are traditional favourites, it may just be time to serve up some new innovative dishes to guests visiting your home for the festival of colours. At ITC Grand Central, chef Vedant Thengodkar takes the traditionally delicious malpua and converts it into a ragi malpua. He explains, "As we celebrate 2023 as the year of millets, the ragi malpua is one such traditional Holi special delicacy with a healthy twist and which is also vegan."

Ingredients
Ragi Flour 60 gm
Oats Powder 20 gm
Wheat Flour 30 gm
Almond Milk 170 ml
Salt just a pinch
Refined oil 3 tbsp
Honey 2 tsp
Mixed fruits

Method:
1. Start by crushing the pistachios into small pieces. Then, take a large bowl and add the grated coconut along with green cardamom powder, crushed pistachios and honey. Mix it well and keep it aside.
2. Now, take another bowl and add the ragi flour, oats flour and wheat flour in it along with a pinch of salt and the powdered sugar. Mix them well and then, gradually, add milk to form a smooth batter with the consistency of dosa batter.
3. Next, take a tawa over medium flame and heat it. With a ladle, pour some batter on the tawa and spread it to make a circle. Then, drizzle some oil on the edges to avoid sticking and cook for a minute.
4. Flip the malpua and cook it for another minute. Don't overcook them to a crisp, they should be soft. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
5. Now, transfer the ragi malpuas to a plate, top it with honey and the prepared filling. Garnish with fresh fruits of your choice and enjoy.

Chef Rohit Chadha at JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu says you can innovate with the classic gujiya by adding flavours of thandai and kalakand to it. Photo Courtesy: JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu

Gujiya infused with thandai and kalakand by Rohit Chadha, executive sous chef, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu
If you love gujiyas but don't mind experimenting with new variations, then chef Rohit Chadha at JW Marriott Juhu suggests adding flavours of two other favourites to the classic enjoyed during Holi. "This moon-shaped sweet delicacy is stuffed with dry fruits, coconut and khoya replete with an intense aroma of cardamom, making it a must-have during the auspicious festival of Holi. The innovative twist given to this traditional delicacy is the addition of two other classic Holi dishes of thandai and kalakand," he shares.

Ingredients:
Refined flour 2 cups
Clarified butter
Khoya 300 gm
Thandai powder 2 tbsp
Water 2 cups
Khoya 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Milkmaid 200 gm
Cardamom powder 1 tsp
Roasted dry fruits 1 cup
Sugar/jaggery 1 cup

Method:
1. Knead a soft dough by mixing water, flour, milkmaid and clarified butter together.
2. Set aside for 30 minutes covering it with a moist kitchen napkin.
3. For the stuffing, mix together chopped dry fruits, khoya, thandai powder and sieved powdered sugar.
4. To make the stuffed gujias, dust the rolling board lightly with some flour and roll each ball with the rolling pin to a small circle with the soft dough made earlier
5. Add the stuffing and roll it into the shape you like.
6. Deep fry the gujia and serve at room temperature.

Aloo Kachori by Paul Kinny, chef and culinary director, The St Regis Mumbai, Lower Parel
Love kachoris but want a variation to the classic festival delicacies of matar or moong dal kachori? Then chef Paul Kinny at The St Regis Mumbai suggests making kachoris with potatoes, a vegetable that everybody loves in various forms. The dish can be made with a delicious mixture of potatoes and grated coconut and served with a delicious chutney for the festival.

Ingredients:
Potatoes 500 gm
Coconut, grated 1 nos
Green chilies 2-3 nos
Arrowroot 100 gm
Cardamom seeds 1 tsp
Lemon juice 1-2 tbsp
Sugar 1-2 tsp
Salt as per requirement

Method:
1. Boil the potatoes and mash them.
2. Add 50 gm arrowroot to the mashed potatoes and knead into firm dough. (This is used for outer covering of the kachori)
3. Mix up the grated coconut with crushed green chilies, sugar, lemon, cardamom and salt to make the filling mixture.
4. Take a small portion of the dough and press it between your palms to make a small puri, stuff with coconut mixture and form into a ball. Repeat for the rest.
5. Roll the balls in the remaining arrowroot and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown in colour.
6. Serve hot with chutney.

Also Read: Holi 2023: The ultimate guide to protecting your skin, hair, nails and teeth from colours