Holi is around the corner, and home kitchens are being kept busy with a plethora of snacks, pickles and drinks to bring in spring with the festival of colours. Add some sweet treats to your festivities this Holi by preparing these traditional mithai options! By Anushka Goel
Holi is probably one of the most fun festivals in India. The riot of colours that explodes all around us, the laughter, the smiles and the spirit of the victory of good over evil is something that stays with us for the entire year, weaving its way into conversations and as part of our most cherished memories.
Like every Indian festival, Holi celebrations are incomplete without food. Rows of fresh fried pakoras, glasses of thandai spiked with bhaang, homemade kanji, chhole kulche, dal kachori and dahi vada line up the tables at every Holi party. But what’s most special about the festivities is the traditional Holi sweets – gujiyas stuffed with khoya and dunked in sugar syrup, stacks of malpua, crispy, bite-sized shakarpara and more.
If we’ve managed to make your mouth water already, then we believe it’s time you check out these desi Holi mithai recipes to make the festivities this year sweeter than ever!
7 Holi sweets you must try
Gujiya
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Think Holi, and one of the first sweet dishes that comes to mind is the humble gujiya. Shaped like pockets, they have beautifully crimped edges, and are stuffed full with a filling of khoya, seeds and nuts. Deep dried, they are sweetened with chashni or sugar syrup, and make for a delicious, filling treat. Some versions of gujiya also use coconut, and many people add their own twists to the recipe – baking the gujiya instead of deep frying to make it healthier, using a mix of all-purpose and wholewheat flour, skipping the sugar syrup and adding some sweetness to the filling instead, and more.
In Maharashtra, karanji is popular. The sweet is similar to gujiya and uses a stuffing of coconuts, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and nuts. Made during the festivities, karanji is a popular farsan item made during Diwali, though it is relished with equal joy for Holi.
Get the recipe here.
Rasmalai
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Rasmalai is a popular festive Bengali sweet, and almost everyone has their favourite dessert shop from where they get their fill of the sweet, yellow dish. The word Rasmalai is a combination of two words – ras or juice, and malai or cream, and is a popular, slightly sweet, creamy and rich dessert that is the perfect way to end a meal.
Rasmalai is made with chhena/paneer discs boiled in sugar syrup (similar to making a rasgulla), and then these discs are soaked in thickened milk or cream that is flavoured with saffron and cardamom. The end result? A creamy, melt-in-the-mouth treat that will make your Holi party a hit with its sweet yet fresh flavour! A tip – add some rose petals to the garnish and infuse rosewater with the soaking liquid to take the flavour several notches higher!
Get the recipe here.
Shakarpara
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Shakarpara, or shankarpali, is a sweet, deep-fried cookie that comes together quickly and makes for a deliciously festive treat. Often made at homes on Holi and Diwali, these are perfect for the weather around both festivities when there’s a slight nip in the air and we crave something sweet that isn’t too overpowering.
Popular in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka, shakarpara is often made along with its savoury counterpart, namakpara, which is slightly more popular, especially as a tea-time snack. It uses simple pantry ingredients – sugar, all-purpose flour (though some healthier versions replace this with wholewheat flour), ghee, a pinch of salt if you like, and oil to fry. A tip? Add some crushed cardamom seeds to the dough to infuse it with extra flavour!
Get the recipe here.
Puran Poli
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The sweet roti from Maharashtra is a popular festive delight, and no wonder it’s made on Holi! The sweet stuffing is made from jaggery and chana dal, and the flatbread tastes amazing paired with something savoury such as dal or pickle, and even with milk, ghee and a bit of bura powder.
The process of making the puran (stuffing) can be tedious and tricky to get just right. The chana mixture has to be soaked and cooked well, with the right amount of moisture and flavour. The stuffing rolled into a maida dough, is toasted to a delicious crisp exterior, while the insides are slighly soft, just like a paratha.
Get the recipe here.
Malpua
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Another delectable Holi sweet treat is malpua. These thin, deep-fried pancakes are almost addictive, because of their crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior. Soaked in sugar syrup and flavoured with fennel and cardamom, they also make for a great accompaniment to the traditional Holi beverage, thandai.
Malpuas are made with all-purpose flour, sugar, milk powder or khoya, fennel and cardamom for flavour, and ingredients such as coconut and saffron can be added to give them a decadent twist. Served with rabdi, they make for an indulgent treat that is best enjoyed after a long morning of playing Holi. There are several recipes online, so choose the one that suits you the best and enjoy it with friends and family!
Get the recipe here.
Kheer
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Another delectable treat, kheer is probably among the most popular desserts in India, made for festivities of all kinds – be it Holi, Diwali, weddings, Raksha Bandhan or simply to celebrate any good news. The rice-based pudding uses milk, dry fruits, cardamom and saffron for the subtle flavour that makes it so special.
Every home has its own special recipe for kheer – some use jaggery while others make it with sabudana and makhana, while some others prefer to jazz up theirs with rosewater, kewra and more. What’s more, kheer tastes as delicious hot as it is cold, so there will never be a wrong time to indulge in a bowl of the sweet treat this Holi!
Get the recipe here.
Phirni
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Phirni is another popular rice-based sweet treat that’s made on festive occasions in India, such as Holi. Popular especially in North India, phirni is similar to kheer as it uses similar ingredients – basmati rice, milk, cardamom, sugar and the like – but has a slightly different way of preparation, which gives it a completely different, much creamier consistency.
Various variants of phirni, such as rose phirni, saffron phirni and even modern takes on the dessert such as phirni pannacotta are popular desserts, but a bowl of the classic dessert is a must-have on festivals such as Holi!
Get the recipe here.
Hero and Featured Image: Courtesy of @karanklicks/Instagram
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