TOPSHOT – A woman smeared with ‘Gulal’ or coloured powder during celebrations of Hindu spring festival ‘Holi’ in Hyderabad on March 7, 2023. (Photo by NOAH SEELAM / AFP)
| Photo Credit: NOAH SEELAM
Holi might be the festival of colours but like every other festival, the hero of this occasion is festive food. When you take a break from the drenching, dancing and celebrations, give these scrumptious Holi staples a try.
Katachi Amti
Katachi Amti and Puran Poli
Ingredients
- Strained water from boiling 100 grams of chana dal – 3 cups
- Soft chana dal – 2 tablespoons
- Tomato – 1 small
- Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon
- Cumin seeds 1- ½ teaspoon
- Curry leaves – 1 sprig or 5-8 leaves
- Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
- Goda masala or Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
- Asafoetida – one pinch
- Chopped coriander – 2-3 sprigs
- Oil – 2 tablespoons
- Salt – to taste
Preparation
- Wash the chana dal and soak in water for two hours.
- In a pressure cooker, cook the chana dal for three to five whistles. Allow it to cool and strain the dal. Set the strained water aside along with just two tablespoons of dal to use for the amtil.
- Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle, then add cumin seeds and sauté.
- Add curry leaves, turmeric powder, chilli powder and a pinch of asafoetida.
- Stir and add chopped tomatoes and let them cook till the tomatoes soften.
- Add the chana dal and the stock.
- Season with salt, chopped coriander leaves and add the goda masala (traditional Maharashtrian spice mix) or garam masala.
- Stir well and let it come to a boil. Simmer for five minutes, taste for seasoning and serve this Katachi Amti with steamed rice.
Recipe by Chef Ashutosh Nerlekar, executive chef, The Park, Chennai
Sukha Kala Chana
Sukha Kala Chana and Puri
Ingredients
- Black Chickpeas – 250 gram
- Hing – 15 gram
- Bay Leaf – 3
- Ghee – 50 gram
- Ginger Paste– 20 gram
- Chopped Green Chili – 20 gram
- Coriander Powder – 40 gram
- Red Chili Powder – 25 gram
- Cumin Powder – 30 gram
- Turmeric Powder – 20 gram
- Black Pepper Powder – 30 gram
- Black Salt – 10 gram
- Dry Mango Powder – 30 gram
- Kasoori Methi – 30 gram
- Salt to taste
- Garam Masala – 25 gram
- Coriander finely chopped – 10 grams
Preparation
- Soak the black chickpeas in water overnight.
- Boil the soaked chickpea until soft and reserve the water.
- Heat a pan slightly, add ghee.
- After the ghee melts, add cumin seeds, asafoetida, ginger paste and add all the other powders, except garam masala.
- Add two tablespoons of water and simmer on low flame.
- Add three to four tablespoons of the reserved boiled black chickpea water.
- After the masala releases ghee, add the boiled black chickpeas, salt to taste and mix it well.
- Add garam masala, most of the chopped coriander and mix it well.
- Turn off the flame and garnish with remaining chopped coriander.
Poori
Ingredients
- Wheat Flour – 2 cups
- Sugar – ½ teaspoon
- Salt – ½ teaspoon
- Semolina (fine) – 1 tablespoons
- Water for kneading
- Oil – 3-4 cups (depends on the size of the pan and number of pooris being fried at once)
Preparation
- Take the flour in a large bowl
- Add one tablespoon of semolina, sugar, salt and two teaspoons of oil.
- Crumble and mix well making sure the flour is moist.
- Add water to the flour mix as required and knead the tight dough.
- Divide the dough into pieces and roll them into small balls.
- Roll each ball into a thin circle.
- Heat oil into a frying pan.
- Drop the poori into the hot oil.
- Press gently until the poori puffs up and splash oil to puff up fully.
- Flip it over and fry until the poori turns golden brown.
- Serve hot with Sukha Kala Chana
Gujiya
Gujiyas soaked in Syrup
| Photo Credit:
S. Subramanium
Ingredients
- Semolina – 1/2 cup
- Refined flour – 2 cups
- Coconut – 4 tablespoon
- Raisin, chopped – 2 tablespoon
- Ghee – ½ cup
- Sugar – 1 cup
- Cashew, chopped – 2 tablespoon
- Pistachio, sliced – 2 tablespoon
- Cardamom, ground – 6 pods
- Gujiya mould
Preparation
- Mix ghee in maida, pour water intermittently and knead it into a smooth dough.
- Cover and rest the dough for 20 minutes to let it set.
- Take half a cup of semolina and add one tablespoon of ghee to it.
- Warm a pan and roast the semolina on low-medium heat till it turns golden brown.
- In another vessel, prepare a sugar syrup by adding half a cup of sugar to half a cup of water and stir it till the sugar dissolves completely.
- Once the sugar dissolves completely, add the roasted semolina to the syrup and cook the mixture over medium flame till It becomes dry.
- Add the grated coconut, chopped cashews, pistachio, raisin and ground cardamom to the mixture and mix it well to form the filling for the gujiya.
- Set this filling aside and allow it to cool.
- Knead the dough and divide it into small parts.
- Take a piece of dough and roll it into a sheet which is two to two-and-a-half inches in diameter.
- Place the rolled sheet on the gujiya mould and press it gently.
- Spoon in the filling, close the mould and press the edges to seal the gujiya. Unmould the gujiya carefully to prevent breaking.
- Heat oil in a frying pan, drop in the gujiya and deep fry on a low flame, flipping them until they turn golden brown on both sides.
- Transfer the fried gujiyas directly into the sugar syrup and leave them immersed in it for 5-6 minutes.
Recipes by Chef Mayank Kulshreshtha, Area Executive Chef ITC Hotels South, Executive Chef ITC Grand Chola
Rainbow Salad with Mango Dressing
Rainbow Salad with Mango Dressing
Ingredients
- Assorted vegetables – 150 grams
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Tomato
- Carrot
- Red pepper
- Green pepper
- Yellow pepper
- Aubergine
- Assorted fruits – 150 grams
- Watermelon
- Strawberry
- Green grapes
- Black grapes
- Kiwi
- Cashew nuts – 2-3
- Walnuts – 2-3
- Raisins – 4-5
- Dates – 2-3
- Cottage Cheese – 20 grams
- Salt – to taste’
For the dressing
- Mango – 1/2 fruit
- Honey – 30 millilitre
- Lemon juice – 10 millilitre
- Olive oil – 30 millilitre
- Salt – to taste
- Crushed black peppercorn – 3-4
Preparation
- Make mango purée in mixer.
- In a bowl take salt, crushed black peppercorn and honey whisk olive oil, and pour the lemon juice drop by drop until all the ingredients are emulsified. Set aside.
- Wash vegetables and fruits in running water.
- Soak lettuce in ice water for 10 minutes, rinse it well and tear the leaves .
- Dice the vegetables, cottage cheese and fruits — except watermelon — into small pieces.
- Cut watermelon into a rectangular slice and place it on a plate.
- Add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add the mango dressing and toss it all well.
- Chill in the refrigerator and serve it on the watermelon slice along with a piece of mango.
Recipe by Chef Deepa Arora, director, Chef’s Table Studio, the Kitchen by chef Deepa
