As the festival of colours approaches, the air fills with a sense of excitement and the promise of joyous gatherings with loved ones. Holi is much more than just a celebration of spring; it is a cherished time to indulge in the vibrant flavours of Indian heritage while embracing the warmth of family and community. Shagun Malhotra understands this festive spirit perfectly, bringing a unique flair to the traditional kitchen with recipes that balance nostalgia and modern innovation. Her signature Rangeele Golgappe add a spectacular pop of natural colour to the snack table, using wholesome ingredients to create a visual feast. Meanwhile, the rich and aromatic Paan Rabdi offers a sophisticated, cooling finish to a day of exuberant play and laughter. By combining time honoured techniques with a splash of contemporary creativity, Shagun Malhotra ensures that your festive feast remains as memorable and bright as the celebrations themselves.

Paan Rabdi

Ingredients

• 1 litre full fat milk

• 200g Condensed milk or sugar

• 5 Paan ka patta/bettle leaves

• 1 Tbsp Gulkandh

• 1 Tsp Saunf

• Some chopped dry fruits

Image credit: Shagun Malhotra

Cooking Steps

1. Bring milk to a boil and let it cook on medium heat.

2. Blend paan leaves, gulkandh, saunf and some milk from the cooking pan.

3. When the milk has reduced to half, add condensed milk or sugar and prepared paan paste. Cook further till you get rabdi consistency.

4. Add chopped dry fruits.

5. Enjoy with hot or cold.

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Rangeele Golgappe

Ingredients

• 3/4th Cup Sooji

• 3 Tsp Maida

• 3/4th Tsp Salt

• 1/2 Cup Warm Water

• Beetroot juice

• Palak juice

Image credit: Shagun Malhotra

Method

1. Knead 3 portions of dough with sooji, maida, salt and warm water. Add beetroot juice and spinach juice in 2 each out of the 3 for colourful golgappe.

2. Cover with wet cloth for 30 mins after kneading but do not knead them too soft.

3. Make small puris out of each dough portion and then deep fry until crisp.

4. Serve with your favourite tamarind chutney, spicy pudina flavoured water and boondi.

Tips:

- Buy fine sooji for this or grind thick sooji

- Dough should be a little hard 

- Cover the dough with a wet cloth for 30minutes

- Poori shouldn’t be very thin. Keep them medium thick