Holi is the festival of colours, and the line never gets repetitive!
In India, Holi is celebrated with grand festivities. Nature is at its best during this time, marked by a departing winter with colourful flowers emanating sweet fragrances in the surroundings. The cold winters are over, and the summer is to arrive resulting in a beautiful spring, which is marked furthered by the glory of the festival of Holi across the length and breadth of the country. However, in India, no festival is genuinely complete without food. The food quotient during Holi calls for some fantastic recipes, most being sweet-based. Be it the delicious Thandai or the heart-melting Gujiyas, Holi is all about filling yourself up with tempting and mouth-watering sweets. Sweets name that are exclusively prepared for Holi include Gujiya, Jalebi, Malpua, Kheer, Rabri, Halwa, Kulfi, Ras Malai, and so much more, just the look of which will awaken the spirit of the festival.
Let us explore some of the delicacies:
- 1. Gujiya
Gujiya is one of the most well-known Holi desserts across the country. It is specially prepared in the northern and central states of India. We don’t know when Gujiya became so staple to the ideal Holi sweet platter, but today we of course can’t think of Holi without a plate of the sweetest and crunchy Gujiyas. These crescent-shaped stuffed sweets are extremely easy to prepare. With a flour dough and stuffing of coconut, cardamom, and sugar, the Gujiya is the perfect Holi recipe. Replace the coconut filling with some Mawa or khoya stuffing in case you are not a fan of coconut or just want another option to add variety.
Kheer is perhaps the most common dessert that flows through the imaginary vein of Indian festivities. This pan-Indian desert is a part of every Indian festivity, right from pujas to birthdays and other parties. The chemistry of the slow-cooked rice in creamy milk with a hint of elaichi topped with freshly chopped dry fruits is a heartthrob. Kheer is the wet sweet that acts as the show-stopper at a Holi party. Your guests will keep on returning to your Holi celebrations every year for that perfect Kheer.
Does it even need an introduction? Indians and their love affair with Kulfi is a heavenly love story with no fight scenes. The chilled Indian desert may seem like just another desi version of ice cream, but it is much more than that for Indians. The Kesar Pista Kulfi with the elaichi flavour, its creamy texture, or the Faluda on the top smelling authentic rose syrup is mouth-watering and close to the heart. This creamy and yummy dessert is the perfect end to any party, and the Holi party is most certainly incomplete without it. Want to make it richer? Add some saffron, crushed cashews, and almonds.
Cottage cheese balls are slowly braised in full-fat milk, simmered with some cardamom seeds, and served chilled. This sounded fancy, but it is the ideal definition of our favourite sweet name Rasmalai. It is a sweet delicacy that is a bit special. This is not the everyday dessert that we have. Instead, it is royal and unique. If you are crafting a fantastic dessert menu for your Holi party, don’t forget to include Rasmalai. Want to enhance the flavour even more? Include cashews and saffron in it. And remember, Ras Malai tastes better when served chilled.
Ladoos rule our sweets name palette. To think of an Indian festivity without laddoo would mean demanding festive vibes. Be it Ganesh Chaturthi of Maharashtra or the Poila Baisakh of Bengal, laddoos are everywhere, and the one specially crafted for the festival of colours is the besan ladoo. Slow-cook roasted besan and mawa create the perfect blend of the laddoo that you can imagine. It is a sumptuous recipe that you can also store for later. The festival of Holi is usually accompanied by pujas at home in most parts of the country. You can also pack them as return gifts for the Holi party invitations.
Are you already feeling water in your mouth by the sweet name, syrupy, and velvety Malpuas? Dipped in dazzling sugar syrup, this fried sweet is ecstatic for Indian homes. Made with cottage cheese, maida, Mawa and plenty of sugar, this sweet is preferred by all Indians. Each state has a variation that enhances the diversity of the sweets name. Some prefer saffron, while others prefer condensed milk in the Malpua. The overall concept of the fried sweet in a shimmery sugar syrup remains the same. Enjoy it chilled with some cream or Malai Rabri on top.
Halwa is another staple Indian sweet name with over a hundred variations nationwide. It could be Gajar halwa, sooji halwa, or the perfect Holi desert – Badam Halwa. Almond paste that is slow-cooked in sugar, milk, and some flour. Traditionally a South Indian recipe, but now cooked across India, we are talking about an ideal dessert for Holi. It gets tastier when cream or condensed milk goes in. Add your favourite flavour to it but better keep it authentically nutty.
For rabdi, whole-fat milk is reduced by boiling it over a slow flame for hours. You can add condensed milk for enhanced flavours and a better taste. The better the Rabri is, the creamier and more intense the taste is. Whole milk is cooked for hours and stirred vigorously to attain the best texture and the perfect consistency. But nowadays, to reduce the time and labour, paneer or crumbled cottage cheese is used for quick Rabdi.
Be it welcoming the guests, hosting the Holi party, offering prayers to the lord, or simply sending warm wishes to your near ones, sweets are mandatory for any happy Indian occasion. There are so many sweets name that are not just perfect for Holi but really for any occasion where you just want to celebrate something by drowning yourself in sweetness! Let sweets continue to enhance the colours of Holi.
