Holi, the festival of colors, is the perfect occasion to host a party at home. And to make the party all the more special, planning a delicious menu is essential. You can start with savory appetizers like dahi bhallas and paneer tikkas, and a main course with puri and some spicy aloo sabzi, a vegetarian biryani, and some paneer butter masala. Don’t forget the papad and pickles, and a cooling raita to accompany all of these delicious dishes. But the highlight of any party is the dessert platter that comes out right at the end. While you can go for store bought dishes, making the sweets at home is even better. Here’s how to celebrate Holi at home with these homemade sweets:
Gujiya
Ingredients:
For the pastry dough:
- 120 gm whole wheat flour
- 120 gm maida
- ¼ tsp salt
- 79 ml to 118 ml water (as required)
- 2 tbsp ghee
For the gujiya filling:
- 200 gm khoya
- ½ tbsp ghee
- 10 almonds
- 10 cashews
- 10 pistachios
- ½ tbsp raisins
- 40 gm powdered sugar
- ½ tsp green cardamom powder
Instructions:
- Add both flours along with salt in a large bowl.
- Heat two tablespoons of ghee in a pan and pour it over the flour, then mix it in so you get a crumbly texture.
- First begin by adding a little water and bringing the dough together. If the dough is dry, keep adding a splash as you go.
- Your dough should be firm once done. Cover it with a moist cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- As the dough rests, prepare the stuffing by grating the khoya.
- Chop all of the nuts and raisins, and set them aside.
- Melt half a tablespoon of ghee in a pan, and add the crumbled khoya to it.
- Keep cooking it on low heat until it starts leaving the edges of the pan. Once done, let it cool at room temperature.
- Once cool enough, add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, raisins, pistachios, cashews and almonds. Mix so that all these ingredients are evenly distributed in the stuffing.
- When ready to start making the gujiyas, divide the dough into two parts.
- Roll the parts into logs and then slice into equal parts. Roll these parts into balls.
- Cover the dough balls with a moist kitchen towel as you roll them out into circles that are around 4 to 5 inches in diameter on a lightly floured surface.
- Stuff each circle with a tablespoon’s worth of the filling then crimp them shut.
- You can even use a slurry or flour and water to ensure that the gujiya is sealed tightly.
- Once you’ve prepared all the gujiyas, get ready to deep fry them.
- Heat the oil, and fry every piece until golden brown on both sides.
- For a healthy twist, bake the gujiyas by preheating the oven to 200°C. Line them up on a baking tray and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Make sure to brush them with some melted butter before you pop them in the oven.
Malpua
Ingredients:
For the malpuas:
- 150 gm all-purpose flour
- 350 ml milk
- ½ green cardamom powder
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
- 3-4 tbsp ghee
- 3 tbsp milk powder
For the sugar syrup:
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 60 ml water
Instructions:
- Start by mixing all the ingredients for the malpua together to get a pancake-like batter. It shouldn’t be too thick or too runny.
- If you want fluffier malpuas, whisk some air into the batter with a fork.
- Let the batter rest for a couple of hours.
- Create the sugar syrup after this by bringing sugar and water to a boil on medium flame.
- The syrup should have a 1-string consistency. You can also add some kewra water once it cools down.
- Begin by heating ghee in a pan and then ladle the malpua batter on it. About 2 to 3 tablespoons of the batter is good enough.
- Allow the malpuas to cook on both sides and once done, dunk them in the sugar syrup.
- The ideal time to soak the malpuas in the syrup is around 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve with some rabdi and a garnish of chopped pistachios.